Research in the Colonial Southwest

The Advanced Hispanic Research workshop offered at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy had a class on research in the Colonial Southwest, taught by Henrietta Martinez Christmas. Here are some tips: 

•  All records were burned during the 1680 Pueblo Revolt; the previous century had to be recreated from other sources. 
• Santa Fe was the only villa starting 1605. After 1692 two new villas - Santa Cruz and Albuquerque. 
• Had to have permission to move up and down the Camino Real (royal road). Immigration was rare and was strictly monitored; sanctioned traveled was allowed on the Santa Fe trail and the Chihuahua trails. Merchant caravans were allowed with taxes and are not well documented. It was against the law to be a foreigner in Spanish land. 
• For Santa Fe research, the New Mexico Genealogical Society website is better than FamilySearch.org, primarily because the records are better labeled.  On FamilySearch some records are under “Miscellaneous.” 
• Best places for research: Albuquerque Public Library, 2nd floor; New Mexico State Records Center and Archives; University of New Mexico - Center for SW; Rocky Mountain online archive https://rmoa.unm.edu/; New Mexico State University in special collections 
• You can find wills and probate in land grant records. 
• Southern Colorado was part of New Mexico, their land grants are part of the New Mexico record group. Arizona land grants are in New Mexico. El Paso was part of New Mexico until 1821. 

JO