Rio Arriba County, New Mexico Genealogy

United States New Mexico  Rio Arriba County



County Courthouse
Rio Arriba County Courthouse PO Box 158; Tierra Amarilla, NM 87575 Phone: 505.588.7254 County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1852.

Parent County

 * Until 1821 - New Spain controlled land that later would become New Mexico and Arizona. Some records of early settlers may have been sent to an archives in Seville, Spain, or to archives in Mexico City.
 * In 1821 - Mexico had jurisdiction over the land that later would become New Mexico and Arizona. Some records of this period may have been sent to archives in Mexico City.
 * 22 September 1846 - Rio Arriba County was created based on an old Mexican government partido as one of seven original New Mexico counties under the  of laws for the occupied Mexican territory. This code is named after General
 * 1848 - New Mexico Territory formally became a part of the United States when the ended in 1848 with the signing of the.



Boundary Changes

 * 9 January 1852 - All New Mexico counties were redefined. Rio Arriba county was extended west to the California border including land in present day Arizona and Nevada.  Residents that lived far from the county seat, probably didn't send many records to the county offices.
 * 29 December 1863 - Arizona Territory created from the western half of New Mexico Territory. Rio Arriba county was reduced in size to the portion still within New Mexico Territory.
 * 24 February 1887 - RIO ARRIBA county lost land to creation of SAN JUAN county.

See also Previous Jurisdictions to land in Arizona for further details.

Neighboring Counties

 * Archuleta County, Colorado
 * Conejos County, Colorado
 * Los Alamos, New Mexico
 * Mora, New Mexico
 * San Juan, New Mexico
 * Sandoval, New Mexico
 * Santa Fe, New Mexico
 * Taos, New Mexico

Cemeteries
Cemeteries in Rio Arriba county at Find A Grave

Church
The early population of New Mexico was generally both Spanish-speaking and Catholic. As such, the sacramental records of the towns and villages present an important avenue of research and may provide the names of several generations within one document. Catholic sacramental records (baptisms, marriages, and burials) are rich in vital record information and may prove a valuable alternative in cases where vital records are not available. The New Mexico Genealogical Society has published an online article titled, Locating Catholic Church Records in New Mexico, Rio Arriba County. This index of church records includes the parish, the location of the church, the missions included and microfilm dates and reference numbers in chart format. Some of the films are available in the Family History Library, and those that aren’t at the library have reel numbers found in the Santa Fe archives. 

Land
If you wish to search the recorded land records of Rio Arriba county you must visit the County Clerk's Office at 7 Main Street, Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico or 1122 Industrial Park Road, Española, New Mexico.

Maps
1895 map of Rio Arriba County, New Mexico

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Espanola New Mexico Family History Center
 * Espanola, New Mexico.

Web Sites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county. *