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Thomas B. Catron Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MSS-29-BC

Scope and Content

The collection contains personal, business, political and legal papers of Thomas B. Catron, 1723-1930. Included is correspondence, legal documents, case records, maps, deeds, campaign literature, newspaper clippings, ledgers, reports and printed material. The collection contains records of 282 cases of the U. S. Court of Private Land Claims, Santa Fe District, 1891-1903, with considerable material on the Anton Chico Grant, Tierra Amarilla Grant, Maxwell Land Grant, and La Bajada Grant. The collection also contains records of U. S. Court of Private Land Claims, Arizona District, 1891-1903; Republican Central Committee of New Mexico, 1892-1916; New Mexico Legislative Assembly, 1890-1911; and Catron & Catron, 1888-1923. Personal and business papers of clients of the Catron & Catron law firm contarecords from mining, livestock and lumber companies in New Mexico such as the American Valley Company records, 1899-1902. Also included is correspondence of Robert C. Gortner, Stephen B. Elkins, Charles C. Catron, Julia Catron, G. W. Prichard, L. Bradford Prince, and Matt G. Reynolds, and papers relating to Adolph F. Bandelier, Diego de Vargas, Albert B. Fall and Miguel A. Otero.

All the Catron land grant files are available online or on microfilm. They contain materials of potential value to researchers from an enormously broad range of disciplines and interests, in addition to land grantees and legal scholars. Prospective users of the collection include, but are not limited to, genealogists, geographers, historians, anthropologists, and researchers interested in water issues. While principally addressing matters related to New Mexico, broader themes and patterns relevant to other times and placed can also be discerned in this rich and extensive collection.

Dates

  • 1692-1934

Creator

Language of Materials

English and Spanish

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Series 101 and 102 (Correspondence), Series 301-310 (Land Title Records), and Series 401-409 (Political Papers) must be accessed via microfilm.

Copy Restrictions

Limited duplication of CSWR material is allowed for research purposes. User is responsible for compliance with all copyright, privacy, and libel laws. Permission is required for publication or distribution.

Biographical Information

Thomas B. Catron, lawyer and politician, was born on October 6, 1840 in Lafayette County, Missouri. He arrived in New Mexico, 1866 and began a controversial career as lawyer, land speculator, and politician. Catron served in the New Mexico Legislative Assembly seven times between 1868-1910, in the U. S. House of Representatives, 1894-1896 and the U. S. Senate, 1912-1918. He died on May 15, 1921 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Extent

259 boxes, plus 105 volumes, plus 6 oversize folders

Additional Description

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in series: 100s - Correspondence; 200s - Case records; 300s - Land title records; 400s - Political papers; 500s - Senatorial papers; 600s - Business records of clients; 700s - Personal papers of clients; 800s - Miscellaneous; 900s - Printed material

Land Grant Cases Online

Documents from selected Catron Land Grant Files are available online. Find links to the digitized documents in this finding aid, or visit UNM CSWR Catron Land Grant Cases to see all of the digitized case files. Digitization of Catron case files is ongoing and new digitized files are being added often.

Some oversize maps listed in this guide to the Thomas B. Catron Papers are available in digital form at New Mexico Waters. At that site use the search boxes to look for maps for a specific land grant.

Files not available online remain accessible at the Center for Southwest Research.

Microfilm Edition

Series 101 and 102 (Correspondence), Series 301, 302-310 (Land Title Records), and Series 401-409 (Political Papers) are available on microfilm.

Related Material

Center for Regional Studies and the Center for Southwest Research Fellows presentation, David Vaughan.

The following maps are located at the Map and Geographic Information Center, Centennial Science and Engineering Library, UNM
  1. Anton Chico G4322 A55: 2S7 G465 1918 J6
  2. Antonio Chaves G4322 A59 G465 1878 S3
  3. Antonio Gutierres and Joaquin Sedillo G4322 A591 G465 1901 P7
  4. Bosque del Apache G4322 B6 G465 [n.d.] S6
  5. Cañón de Carnue G4322 C25 G465 1901 U5
  6. cañón de Chama G4322 N6 S1 G465 1876 W4; G4322 C253 G465 1878 M35
  7. Canada de Cochiti G4322 C22 G465 1955 U5
  8. Cañón de San Diego G4322 C26 G465 1963 L3
  9. Ceboletta G4322 C4 G465 1937 U5
  10. Chilili G4322 C48 G465 1889 M3
  11. Isleta Pueblo G4322 18 G465 1943 U5
  12. Juan Jose Lobato G4322 L58 G465 1937 U5
  13. La Majada G4322 L16 1896 El
  14. Las Vegas G4322 L35 P2 G465 1902 M4; G4322 L35 G465 1888 U5
  15. Maxwell G4322 M35 S1 G465 1870 S65; G4322 M35 C5 G465 1921 U5; G4322 M35 G465 1889 M3
  16. Nuestra Señora de la Luz G4322 L33 G465 [n.d.] [s.n.]
  17. Ojo de San Jose G4322 O36 G465 1935 D4
  18. Ojo del Espiritu Santo G4322 O37 G465 1885 S3
  19. Plaza Colorado & Plaza Blanca G4322 L58 G465 1935 U5
  20. Sangre de Cristo G4322 S333 G465 1949 R6
  21. Sebastion de Vargas G4322 S51 G465 1930 T8
  22. Sevilleta G4322 S53 G465 1878 S3
Albert B. Fall Papers, Center for Southwest Research. University of New Mexico. Francis Cushman Wilson Papers on Pueblo Legal Issues Center for Southwest Research. University of New Mexico. Miguel Otero Papers, Center for Southwest Research. University of New Mexico. Marion Dargan Papers, Center for Southwest Research. University of New Mexico. Thomas B. Catron Papers, Fray Angélico Chávez History Library, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Santo Domingo Pueblo Documents Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico Indian Affairs Collection Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico L. Bradford Prince Papers Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico Maxwell Land Grant Company Records Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico George W. Prichard Family Papers Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico Board of Trustees of the Sevilleta Grant Records, Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico. Hugo Seaberg Papers Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico Lawyers Title Insurance Corporation Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico Atrisco Oral History Project Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico Rodey, Dickason, Sloan, Akin and Robb records Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico Forgotten Lessons and Missing Links: Adolph Bandelier as a Pioneering Scientific Historian Rick Hendricks, State Historian, New Mexico Office of the State Historian

Separated Material

Photographs have been transferred to Thomas Benton Catron Photograph Collection.

Series 301-310 Master digital files on CD stored in B3.

Subjects

Related Names

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Finding Aid of the Thomas B. Catron Papers, 1692-1934
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by CSWR staff
Date
©2000
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is in English

Revision Statements

  • June 28, 2004: PUBLIC "-//University of New Mexico::Center for Southwest Research//TEXT (US::NmU::MSS 29 BC::Thomas B. Catron Papers)//EN" "nmu1mss29bc.sgml" converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (sy2003-10-15).

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository

https://library.unm.edu/cswr/index.php
Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451

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