Diseños Collection
Item set
Title
Diseños Collection
Description
Diseños collection
Within the Diseños Collection there are 493 hand-drawn sketch maps, or diseños, that were created from approximately 1866-1871. These sketch maps were hand-copied from originals created from approximately 1827-1846. These are part of a larger collection that makes up the Spanish and Mexican Land Grant Records that also include expedientes, or written documents regarding the grant petition.
At the end of the Mexican-American War in 1848, California became a territory of the United States after Mexico and the United States signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Among other things, the treaty directed the U.S. government to honor legitimate land claims of Mexican citizens in the territory. Official copies of the provincial records kept in Monterey by the Spanish and Mexican governments were used by the new government to confirm land claims. Included in the title papers are sketch maps (diseños) and expedientes. The Mexican land grant process had a major influence on the development of California land by shaping settlement patterns and land ownership. As some of the earliest maps in California, diseños are essential to understanding the complex system of land ownership in the state today.About the Spanish and Mexican Land Grants Records
As U.S. government officials collected the provincial records, Congress passed the Land Act of 1851 creating the Board of Land Commissioners. The Board would review the records and resolve land claims in the newly acquired region. In addition, this act entrusted the U.S. Surveyor General with surveying confirmed land grants. Landowners had two years to present their claim to the board by providing their copy of the grant with the governor’s seal. Failure to present their claims within those two years would result in forfeiture of the land, which would become public land.
The Board of Land Commissioners operated for a total of five years. During this time, they operated mostly out of San Francisco but also operated out of Los Angeles for a brief time in 1852. Former Mexican citizens had to rely on translators and lawyers to help them through the submission process and later the appeal process in the federal courts, a process that on average took thirty years to complete. In general, petitioners had to wait seventeen years for the final patent for their land. The travel expenses coupled with legal fees led many to bankruptcy. Falling cattle prices and a few years of drought crippled many of the most prominent ranchos. As a result, most of the rancho lands were sold off at reduced prices to those who could afford the legal fees. During this period much of the land transferred to incoming American settlers. Others dealt with squatters taking their land from them. In the end, the Land Commissioners reviewed 813 grant claims, but only approved 553.
Diseños were used throughout the land grant process under the Spanish, Mexican and U.S. governments to show boundaries. These hand drawn maps mainly use naturally occurring boundaries such as rivers, mountains, rock outcropping, and trees as markers. Many of the diseños have labeled neighboring properties and as part of the initial land grant process all borders were agreed upon by surrounding landowners. The diseños also show existing travel routes, locations of houses and local place names. Using natural landmarks as markers would become problematic under the U.S. government, as changing landscapes made proving the borders difficult. For this reason, the U.S. Surveyor General conducted their own survey of the confirmed grant properties in an effort to settle boundaries.
Chapter 281, Statutes of 1865-1866, required the Secretary of State to engross all original grants and documents relating to the titles of land in the state derived from the Spanish or Mexican governments, along with accurate translations. The documents were housed at the Office of the United States Surveyor General in San Francisco, and Rufus C. Hopkins, Keeper of the Archives in that office, executed the work from 1866 to 1871. The diseños in the State Archives collection are copies of the original hand-drawn maps found in the individual expedientes. At the request of the legislature, the records from Monterey were transcribed and deposited at the State Archives in 1871. California's Evidence Code §1605, provides that the Spanish-Mexican land grant records in the State Archives are receivable as prima facie evidence with like force and effect as the originals.
Within the Diseños Collection there are 493 hand-drawn sketch maps, or diseños, that were created from approximately 1866-1871. These sketch maps were hand-copied from originals created from approximately 1827-1846. These are part of a larger collection that makes up the Spanish and Mexican Land Grant Records that also include expedientes, or written documents regarding the grant petition.
At the end of the Mexican-American War in 1848, California became a territory of the United States after Mexico and the United States signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Among other things, the treaty directed the U.S. government to honor legitimate land claims of Mexican citizens in the territory. Official copies of the provincial records kept in Monterey by the Spanish and Mexican governments were used by the new government to confirm land claims. Included in the title papers are sketch maps (diseños) and expedientes. The Mexican land grant process had a major influence on the development of California land by shaping settlement patterns and land ownership. As some of the earliest maps in California, diseños are essential to understanding the complex system of land ownership in the state today.About the Spanish and Mexican Land Grants Records
As U.S. government officials collected the provincial records, Congress passed the Land Act of 1851 creating the Board of Land Commissioners. The Board would review the records and resolve land claims in the newly acquired region. In addition, this act entrusted the U.S. Surveyor General with surveying confirmed land grants. Landowners had two years to present their claim to the board by providing their copy of the grant with the governor’s seal. Failure to present their claims within those two years would result in forfeiture of the land, which would become public land.
The Board of Land Commissioners operated for a total of five years. During this time, they operated mostly out of San Francisco but also operated out of Los Angeles for a brief time in 1852. Former Mexican citizens had to rely on translators and lawyers to help them through the submission process and later the appeal process in the federal courts, a process that on average took thirty years to complete. In general, petitioners had to wait seventeen years for the final patent for their land. The travel expenses coupled with legal fees led many to bankruptcy. Falling cattle prices and a few years of drought crippled many of the most prominent ranchos. As a result, most of the rancho lands were sold off at reduced prices to those who could afford the legal fees. During this period much of the land transferred to incoming American settlers. Others dealt with squatters taking their land from them. In the end, the Land Commissioners reviewed 813 grant claims, but only approved 553.
Diseños were used throughout the land grant process under the Spanish, Mexican and U.S. governments to show boundaries. These hand drawn maps mainly use naturally occurring boundaries such as rivers, mountains, rock outcropping, and trees as markers. Many of the diseños have labeled neighboring properties and as part of the initial land grant process all borders were agreed upon by surrounding landowners. The diseños also show existing travel routes, locations of houses and local place names. Using natural landmarks as markers would become problematic under the U.S. government, as changing landscapes made proving the borders difficult. For this reason, the U.S. Surveyor General conducted their own survey of the confirmed grant properties in an effort to settle boundaries.
Chapter 281, Statutes of 1865-1866, required the Secretary of State to engross all original grants and documents relating to the titles of land in the state derived from the Spanish or Mexican governments, along with accurate translations. The documents were housed at the Office of the United States Surveyor General in San Francisco, and Rufus C. Hopkins, Keeper of the Archives in that office, executed the work from 1866 to 1871. The diseños in the State Archives collection are copies of the original hand-drawn maps found in the individual expedientes. At the request of the legislature, the records from Monterey were transcribed and deposited at the State Archives in 1871. California's Evidence Code §1605, provides that the Spanish-Mexican land grant records in the State Archives are receivable as prima facie evidence with like force and effect as the originals.
Date
c. 1866-1871
Subject
Land grants - California
Creator
Secretary of State Records.
Publisher
California State Archives, a division of the California Secretary of State's Office
Rights
There are no known coyright restrictions associated with these digital images. We encourage the use of these images for personal, study, and educational purposes. Please credit "Courtesy of California State Archives." The California State Archives and the Friends of California Archives cannot be responsible for any use of these images, or any liability resulting from their use. The Archives is interested in learning about any possible copyright restrictions and will gladly remove any image that is in violation.
Source
Spanish and Mexican Land Grant Records, Secretary of State Records. California State Archives.
Format
JPEG, scanned at 400 DPI, 24-bit color
Language
Spanish
Type
Still Image
Items
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Cañada Larga o Verde Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Cañada Larga o Verde boundaries. Volume 2, page 5. -
San Louis Gonzaga Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of San Louis Gonzaga boundaries. Volume 1, page 1. -
Nietos Addition Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Nietos Addition boundaries. Volume 2, page 205. -
Cuyama or Cuyoma Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Cuyama or Cuyoma boundaries. Volume 2, page 204. -
Cuyama or Cuyoma Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Cuyama or Cuyoma boundaries. Volume 2, page 203. -
Cuyama or Cuyoma Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Cuyama or Cuyoma boundaries. Volume 2, page 202. -
Grulla Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Grulla boundaries. Volume 2, page 201. -
Valle de San Felipe Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Valle de San Felipe boundaries. Volume 2, page 200 -
Alamos y Agua Caliente Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Alamos y Agua Caliente boundaries. Volume 2, page 199. -
Lomas de Santioago or Lomerias de Santiafo or Santiago Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Lomas de Santioago or Lomerias de Santiafo or Santiago boundaries. Volume 2, page 198. -
Canada de los Alisos Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Canada de los Alisos boundaries. Volume 2, page 197. -
Canada de la Berrenda Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Canada de la Berrenda boundaries. Volume 2, page 196. -
Canada de la Berrenda Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Canada de la Berrenda boundaries. Volume 2, page 195. -
Valle de la Trinidad Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Valle de la Trinidad boundaries. Volume 2, page 194. -
Island of San Diego or Peninsula of San Diego or North Island Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Island of San Diego or Peninsula of San Diego or North Island boundaries. Volume 2, page 193. -
Chimiles Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Chimiles boundaries. Volume 2, page 192. -
Santa Rita Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Santa Rita boundaries. Volume 2, page 191. -
Land- Mission San Luis Obispo Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Land- Mission San Luis Obispo boundaries. Volume 2, page 190. -
Lot- Mission-San Gabriel Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Lot- Mission-San Gabriel boundaries. Volume 2, page 189. -
Rincon del Diablo Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Rincon del Diablo boundaries. Volume 2, page 188. -
San Diego or San Deiguito Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of San Diego or San Deiguito boundaries. Volume 2, page 187. -
San Diego or San Deiguito Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of San Diego or San Deiguito boundaries. Volume 2, page 186. -
Cañada Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Cañada boundaries. Volume 2, page 185. -
Muscupiabe Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Muscupiabe boundaries. Volume 2, page 184. -
Cañada de los Osos y Pecho y Islae Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Cañada de los Osos y Pecho y Islae boundaries. Volume 2, page 183. -
Cuyama Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Cuyama boundaries. Volume 2, page 182. -
Santa Ana del Chino Sobrante Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Santa Ana del Chino Sobrante boundaries. Volume 2, page 181. -
Land-San Jacinto y San Gorgonio or Yuciapa Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Land-San Jacinto y San Gorgonio or Yuciapa boundaries. Volume 2, page 180. -
Temescal Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Temescal boundaries. Volume 2, page 179. -
Guesesosi or Jesus Maria Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Guesesosi or Jesus Maria boundaries. Volume 2, page 178. -
Ojo de Agua del Encinal Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Ojo de Agua del Encinal boundaries. Volume 2, page 176. -
Land- Los Angeles Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Land-Los Angeles boundaries. Volume 2, page 175. -
Blosa del Chamizal Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Blosa del Chamizal boundaries. Volume 2, page 174. -
Cañada de Capay Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Cañada de Capay boundaries. Volume 2, page 177. -
Rincon de Musulacon Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Rincon de Musulacon boundaries. Volume 2, page 173. -
Cañada de Secuan or Mesa del Arroya or Valle de las Viejas Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Cañada de Secuan or Mesa del Arroya or Valle de las Viejas boundaries. Volume 2, page 171. -
Cañada del Rincon en el Rio San Lorenzo de Santa Cruz Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Cañada del Rincon en el Rio San Lorenzo de Santa Cruz boundaries. Volume 2, page 170. -
Rancho de German Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Rancho de German boundaries. Volume 2, page 172. -
Huefano Or Huer-huero Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Huefano Or Huer-huero boundaries. Volume 2, page 169. -
Land-Mission San Luis Obispo Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Land-Mission San Luis Obispo boundaries. Volume 2, page 168. -
Cañada de San Miguelito or Cañada del Diablo Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Cañada de San Miguelito or Cañada del Diablo boundaries. Volume 2, page 167. -
San Miguelito Addition Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of San Miguelito Addition boundaries. Volume 2, page 166. -
Vallecitos Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Vallecitos boundaries. Volume 2, page 165. -
Cañada de Jonive Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Cañada de Jonive boundaries. Volume 2, page 164. -
Santa Tomas Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Santa Tomas boundaries. Volume 2, page 163. -
Santa Rosa Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Santa Rosa boundaries. Volume 2, page 162. -
Santa Rosa Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Santa Rosa boundaries. Volume 2, page 161. -
Mission Vieja de San Rafael Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Mission Vieja de San Rafael boundaries. Volume 2, page 160. -
Descanso at San Miguel Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Descanso at San Miguel boundaries. Volume 2, page 159. -
Barona Rancho
Hand-drawn sketch map of Barona boundaries. Volume 2, page 158.