The following typed transcript of the Cañon de San Diego Land Grant is from the papers of John A. Adams.
TYPED TRANSCRIPT OF THE CANON DE SAN DIEGO GRANT
Surveyor General Records
Report #25
New Mexico State Records Center & Archives
Two Rials (sic)
Corrected Copy
Seal third, two rials for the years One Thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety Eight and Ninety Nine.
To the Lieutenant Colonel and Governor of this Province –
Francisco and Antonio Garcia de Noriega, brothers and interpreters of the Navajo Nation in unison with Miguel Garcia – Juaquin Montoya – Salvador Garcia – Jose Manuel Garcia – Juan Jose Gutierrez – Juan de Aguilar – Blas Nepomoceno Garcia – Bartolome Montoya – Jose Montoya – Tomas Montoya – Juan Domingo Martin – Jose Gonzales – Salvador Lopez – Antonio Abad Garcia – Miguel Gallegos – Marcos Apodaca – Jose Miguel Duran – and Jose Maria Jaramillo, appear before Your Excellency in the most approved __________ ___________law requires and may be necessary and state that a quantity of vacant and uncultivated land lies in the Canon of San Diego adjoining the boundaries of the lands belonging to the Indians of the Town of Jemez and whereas the settlement thereof would be beneficial to the province and advantageous to our present families and descendants settling upon these lands with our property and cultivating the same, we pray Your Excellency to be pleased to grant this aid and settlement that we petition for to the persons herein mentioned and to be pleased at the same time to order in the name of His Majesty (whom may God Preserve) that we may receive from the boundary beyond the lands granted to the Indians of the Pueblo, our petition calling for, from East to West to the middle Arroyo called Los Torreones, and the line running from North to South, to the Vallecito de la Cueva which is in front of the waterfall and in a transverse line from said middle arroyo to the Rito de la Jara – We also protest that we will not injure with our persons or stock a few trees which the Indians claim as their own although they are planted beyond the limits of the lands which belong to them. Therefore – we humbly pray that Your Excellency be pleased to order our request to be complied with granting us the vacant land asked for, by doing which we will receive grace and we swear in due form that our petition is not made through malice; and one signed, the others not knowing how.
(Signed), Jose Miguel Garcia
Decree:
Santa Fe March 6th in the year One Thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety Eight – In view of the forgoing petition made by Jose Miguel Garcia and the others citizens therein mentioned in regard to settling in the Canon known as San Diego de Jemez where the interpreters of the Navajo Nation were temporarily stationed, I grant to them the aforesaid land in the name of the King our Sovereign with the express condition that it is to be settled by at least twenty citizens; that the lands are to be distributed in equal parts, and that they are not allowed or authorized for themselves or their heirs to sell or dispose of the lands granted to them, It being his Majesty’s will according to his last orders that the land should descend from father to son or his heirs in a direct line, and if any colonist to suit his own convenience should desire to receive it under any pretext whatsoever, his possession or share shall remain for the benefit of the one taking his place in which case the residents of the same place or persons marrying there shall be preferred, and for which no remuneration whatever shall be exacted by the person voluntarily absenting himself or expelled or banished by the authorities on account of his bad conduct. That besides the subdivision above mentioned a sufficient amount of land is to be left for pastures and watering places as well as to allow for the increase of the settlement if such may be the case (which is likely to occur) – [torn] — order of the Chief Justice of that jurisdiction Don Antonio Armenta to place the parties in possession under the rules prescribed by law –
(Signed) Chacon
Possession:
In this Canon of San Diego de los Jemez on the Fourteenth day of the month of March in the year One Thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety Eight, I Don Antonio de Armenta Chief Justice of the Pueblo of Jemez, by virtue of the authority conferred upon me by my Superior Chief Don Fernando Chacon, Gentleman of this order of Santiago (Lieutenant Colonel of the Royal Armies, political and military Governor of this Province of New Mexico), being at the aforementioned place, and having summoned the natives of said Pueblo of Jemez to whom having measured the league belonging to them, I found a surplus of Two Thousand One Hundred Varas which they had, before arriving at the Canon de San Diego, all of which they claimed as their own without having any right to them in any manner an believing that they had no right to it and knowing that it is the wish of our Sovereign that his lands be settled upon by this subjects in whatever a surplus may be found, and finding no impediment whatever and using the authority in me vested I proceeded to the surplus and finding no one with a better title and Francisco Garcia, Antonio Garcia Navajo interpreters — Miguel Garcia, Juaquin Montoya, Salvador Garcia, Jose Manuel Garcia, Juan Jose Gutierrez, Juan de Aguilar, Juan Blas, Pomoceno Garcia, Bartolo Montes — Thomas Montoya, Jose Montoya, Juan Domingo Sangil, , Salvador Lopez, Jose Gonzales, Antonio Abad Garcia, Miguel Gallego, Marcos Apodaca, Jose Miguel Duran, and Jose Jaramillo being present – all interested and well informed in regard to the matter, I took them by the hand, walked with them over said lands, they pulled up grass, threw stones towards the four winds, and we all cried at once, three times Live the King our Sovereign (whom may God preserve) in proof of legal possession which they receive quietly and peaceably without any opposition whatsoever, because after concluding with all these ceremonies I delivered to each one of said settlers three hundred varas with which they were well satisfied leaving the remainder for the benefit of all and without any other land being left for any other person to enter and in order to prevent any other from coming in to meddle and create difficulties between the citizens as well as the Indians, I gave them to understand which where their boundaries which are, on the North, the Vallecito de la Cueva, by the South the termination of the Indian league, on the East the boundary of Vallecito and on the West, the opening towards the middle Arroyo and the Rio de la Jara and no injury resulting to anyone they were all satisfied and in order that it may so appear. ___________ Chief Justice signed with my two attending witnesses, in the absence of a public or royal notary, there being none with the limits of all this government to which I certify
(signed) Antonio de Armenta
Witness (signed) Salvador Lopez
Witness (signed) Jose Miguel Garcia
This copy agrees with its original to which reference is made and from whence I, said Don Antonio de Armenta Chief Justice, took this copy at the verbal request of the parties. It is correct and genuine and my attending witnesses were present when it was made and compared and the original remains in the Archives in charge of the Governor don Fernando Chacon, and it is made at the Pueblo of Jemez on the Sixteenth day of the month of March in the year One Thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety Eight – signed with my hand in the absence of a public or royal notary there being none in the government to which I certify.
In testimony of the truth I hereto attach my customary signature.
(Signed) Antonio de Armenta
Witness (signed) Salvador Lopez
(signed) Jose Miguel Garcia
Surveyor General’s Office
Translation Department
Santa Fe, New Mexico
June 13, 1859
The foregoing is a correct translation of the original on file in this office.
David Whiting,
Translator
[Recorded on pages 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144 of record book marked “Land Claims Record, Vol. 2, Sur. General’s Office.
Dav. J. Miller
Ch. Clerk – translation –
Archive 375 4]