User:Williamsda/sandbox29

Online Resources

 * 1784-1868 California, U.S., Spanish Land Records, 1784-1868 at Ancestry ($); Index and Images; Images of index to Spanish Archives, MF8:4(24), Spanish Archives Originals, MF2:9(32-35), and translations MF2:9(35-39); Also at: 
 * 1820-1908 at FamilySearch; images — How to Use this Collection
 * 1824-1997 at FamilySearch; index and images — How to Use this Collection
 * 1849-1895 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1855-1875 Spanish and Mexican Land Grants, 1855-1875
 * 1921-1952 California, Alien Land Ownership Records, 1921-1952 at Ancestry ($); index.
 * 1840-1892 Maps of Private Land Grant Cases of California (1397 items)

Timeline for land ownership

 * 1769-1821 Lands were granted by the Spanish
 * 1822-1846 Mexico administered land grants
 * 1848- United States administration first at federal then county jurisdictions

Spanish and Mexican Records
Many of these early records are at the California State Archives and the Bancroft Library. One set of surviving records, dating from 1833 to 1845, is the Spanish Archives Record Group available at the California State Archives and the Family History Library (Family History Library films 978888-901; indexes are on Family History Library films -890).

The National Archives also has some early claim records, such as the "Mexican Expedientes, 1822-1846." The following give names of early landowners: Names of early California residents are indexed in the California State Archives collection titled Spanish and Mexican Land Grant Maps, 1855-1875. This index may be accessed at no charge and provides the identification number, grant name, name of confirmee, acres and patent date.
 * Avina, Rose Hollenbaugh. Spanish and Mexican Land Grants in California. 1932. Reprint. New York, NY: Arno Press, 1976. (Family History Library book .) This publication gives a history of land distribution and a list of pre-1847 ranchos.
 * Cowan, Robert G. Ranchos of California, A List of Spanish Concessions, 1775-1822, and Mexican Grants, 1822-1846. Fresno, California: Academy Library Guild, 1956. (Family History Library book .)

When the United States acquired California in 1848, it agreed to recognize earlier claims. A commission was established in 1852 to process the claims. The National Archives has these commission records, including petitions and translations of Spanish documents. These are indexed in: The Family History Library and the National Archives have records of private land grant cases from U.S. circuit and district courts from 1852 to 1910. There are no records of gold rush claims except those that were contested in the courts.
 * J.N. Bowman, Index to the Spanish-Mexican Private Land Grant Records and Cases of California, 1958, Reprint (Berkeley, California: Bancroft Library, University of California, 1970; Family History Library film ).

Federal and State Records
Unclaimed land became the public domain. Portions were surveyed and sold by the federal government through land offices. The first general land offices were established in Los Angeles and Benicia in 1853. Some land office records are at the National Archives at San Francisco and the National Archives at Riverside The Bureau of Land Management and General Land Office (BLM-GLO) has an on line Land Patent Search which is an index to millions of ancestors in federal land patents from 1788 to the 1960s at the National Archives. Start with this index to get the information needed to obtain the applications for land patents which may be a rich source of genealogical information about a family.
 * California State Office
 * 2800 Cottage Way, Suite W-1834
 * Sacramento, CA 95825-1886
 * Telephone: (916) 978-4400
 * Fax: (916) 978-4416
 * TDD (916) 978-4419
 * Contact us by Email

The National Archives has the original tract books, plat maps, and land-entry case files. These include cash entries and homestead entries.

Records of state land grants are located at the:
 * State Lands Commission
 * 100 Howe Ave.
 * Suite E 100 S.
 * Sacramento, California 95825
 * Telephone: 916-574-1900
 * Internet: http://www.slc.ca.gov/

County Records
After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions have been filed with the county recorder. The Family History Library has microfilm copies of deeds and mortgages for some counties and is presently acquiring records of other counties.

A wiki article describing an online collection is found at: California, San Mateo County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Maps
Find a county atlas for the area of research/interest
 * Maps of Private Land Grant Cases of California c.1840-c.1892 (1397 items)
 * Hornbeck Collection of Historical Land Use in California
 * Official and historical atlas map of Alameda County, California (link to David Rumsey)
 * Santa Clare County, California
 * California atlas search results on Worldcat

For Further Reading
Avina, Rose Hollenbaugh. Spanish and Mexican Land Grants in California. 1932. Reprint. New York, NY: Arno Press, 1976.

Beers, Henry Putney. Spanish and Mexican Records in the American Southwest. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1979.

Cowan, Robert G. Ranchos of California: a list of Spanish concessions, 1775-1822 and Mexican grants, 1822-1846. San Bernardino, Calif: Borgo Press. 1985.

Hone, E. Wade. Land & Property Research in the United States. Salt Lake City, Ut: Ancestry Publishing, 1997.

Kvasnicka, Robert M., compiler. The Trans-Mississippi West, 1804–1912, Part IV, A Guide to Records of the Department of the Interior for the Territorial Period, Section 3: Records of the General Land Office. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 2007.

Perez, Cris. Grants of land in California made by Spanish or Mexican authorities. [Sacramento, CA] (1807 13th St., Sacramento 95814): The Commission. 1986. (176 pages)

Robinson, W.W. Land in California : The Story of Mission Lands, Ranchos, Squatters, Mining Claims, Railroad Grants, Land Scrip, Homesteads. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1948.