Records of the United States Territorial and New Mexico District Court Clerks,
Collection
Identifier: 1974-033
Scope and Content
Collection consists of the court clerk correspondence for the 1st Judicial District Court, the 3rd Judicial District Court, the 4th Judicial District Court, the 6th Judicial District Court, and the 8th Judicial District Court (1879-1970). The bulk of correspondence covers the years 1879-1912 and 1960-1970. Some correspondence for the 1st and 4th Judicial District Courts is located in letterpress books (1897-1911). Collection also includes criminal and civil cases for Bernalillo, Chavez, Colfax, Doña Ana, Eddy, Grant, Lincoln, Rio Arriba, San Juan, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Socorro, Taos, Union, and Valencia County District Courts (1853-1962). Cases include suits against the Atchinson, Tokepa, and Santa Fe Railroad, bankruptcy proceedings, and coal company cases. Also included are the U.S. District Court Case U.S. vs. Hope Community Ditch, et.al. (1933), and the Supreme Court of the United States case State of Arizona vs. State of California, et.al (1955). Criminal and civil cases are arranged alphabetically by county. Large gaps do exist between case files. Several cases within the 2nd and 3rd Judicial District Courts do not indicate a specific county seat. Miscellaneous records include a United States Grand Jury Report of the 1st Judicial District (1898), a list of suits filed for the Taos County District Court (1853-1854), and a court record fragment for the Valencia County District Court (1853).
Some materials are in Spanish.
Some materials are in Spanish.
Dates
- 1853-1970 (Bulk 1882-1960)
Language of Materials
English,
Access Restrictions
None
Copy Restrictions
Limited duplication allowed for research purposes. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Historical Note
With the occupation of New Mexico in 1846 by the United States, seven political sub-divisions established by Mexico in 1844 were recognized as counties under the Kearny Code of Laws. New Mexico remained under a military form of government until September 9, 1950, when an Act of Congress established the Territory of New Mexico. On January 9, 1852, the boundaries of the counties were fixed by an Act of the Territorial Legislative Assembly. Each county was assigned to a judicial district. Many of these judicial designations changed as county lines moved and new counties were created. Each district court was responsible for appointing a district court clerk for each county of the judicial district. One person was often named as the clerk for more than one county.
Extent
25 volumes (Letterpress books) (8 linear feet)
Organization
Collection is organized into three series:
- I. Correspondence (1879-1970)
- II. Criminal and Civil Case Files (1864-1962)
- III. Miscellaneous (1853-1898)
General
Contact Information
- New Mexico State Records Center and Archives
- Archives and Historical Services Division
- 1205 Camino Carlos Rey
- Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
- Phone: 505-476-7908
- Fax: 505-476-7909
- Email: archives@rain.state.nm.us
- URL: http://www.state.nm.us/cpr/ahsd_top.htm
General
General
Most statehood material remains with the individual Judicial District Court Clerks.
- Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad Company
- Bernalillo County (N.M.) -- History
- Chavez County (N.M.) -- History
- Civil procedure -- New Mexico
- Colfax County (N.M.) -- History
- Criminal procedure -- New Mexico
- District courts -- New Mexico
- Doña Ana County (N.M.) -- History
- Eddy County (N.M.) -- History
- Grant County (N.M.) -- History
- Judicial districts -- New Mexico
- Judicial proceedings
- Letterpress copybooks
- Lincoln County (N.M.) -- History
- New Mexico. District Court (1st Judicial District)
- Rio Arriba County (N.M.) -- History
- San Juan County (N.M.) -- History
- San Miguel County (N.M.) -- History
- Santa Fe County (N.M.) -- History
- Socorro County (N.M.) -- History
- Taos County (N.M.) -- History
- Territorial records
- Trial and arbitral proceedings
- Union County (N.M.) -- History
- Valencia County (N.M.) -- History
- Water rights -- Arizona
- Water rights -- California
- Water rights -- New Mexico
- Title
- Inventory of the Records of the United States Territorial and New Mexico District Court Clerks, 1853-1970 (Bulk 1882-1960)
- Status
- Edited Full Draft
- Author
- Processed by Melissa T. Salazar
- Date
- ©2000
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is in English
Revision Statements
- June 28, 2004: PUBLIC "-//New Mexico State Records Center and Archives//TEXT (US::Nm-Ar::1974-033::Records of the United States Territorial and New Mexico District Court Clerks)//EN" "nmar1974-033.sgml" converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (sy2003-10-15).
Repository Details
Part of the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives Repository