[Categories include: Names, Rented Houses, Age, Summer Pasture, Capital, Cattle of All Ages, Ready Mules, Horses of All Ages, Sheep of All Ages, Rented Ewes, Owned Goats, Rented Goats, Donkeys.]

[The lakes on this ranch will not hold water for even fifteen days.]

[Includes a description of the actual measurement of the land, together with a listing of the boundaries and the surrounding ranches.]

[He sends the file to the Mayor of Camargo so that he can make a copy for the municipal archives. The original is to be returned to the state archives. Morales is ordered to construct boundary markers so that the boundaries of his property will be known.]

[They received this land from Antonio Morales de Villarreal. The certified copy was made on September 19, 1835.]

[He is required to build boundaries of rough stone and mortar within four months or he will lose his title. Description of ceremony is similar to above.]

[Moreno petitioned Ramirez for this land on November 29, 1835. On December 2 Ramirez went with Moreno to the ranch to give him possession. The document then describes what is apparently a standard ceremony: Mayor Ramírez took Mr. Moreno's hand and told him in a loud voice that, having paid the State Treasury, he gave him this land in the name of the sovereign state of Tamaulipas. He is required to build boundaries of rough stone and mortar on his grant within four months or he will lose the title. Mr. Moreno then gave thanks to the state, sprinkled water on the land, cut some grass and pulled some weeds, which he then threw to the four winds. At the same time he asked the witnesses to note that he had been given possession of this land by the Mayor, and that no one there had contradicted his claim and right to this land.]

[Pilar Ballarena appeared to say that the land granted to her also belongs to her two brothers, Manuel Ballarena and Francisco Elizondo because they also paid equal parts for the land. Although the land was granted to one, each sibling owns one sitio of the three sitio site. Manuel de Chapa is a witness to this. The certified copy was made on December 22, 1835.]

[In the same manner, Antonio Elizondo states that his son Andrés owns one-half of his land in El Licero. Each owns equal parts of 1 1/2 sitios of the 3 sitio grant. The witnesses are Antonio Morales, Lazaro Elizondo and Bruno Garcia. The certified copy was made on December 22, 1835.]

[The document is incomplete; it is only about 1/2 of the standard description of the ceremony, and the last sentence is incomplete.]

[In 1825 Farías found that his land, Santa Cruz on the other side of the Río Grande, was not enough to support the cattle that he and his sons hold in common. He therefore claims for his three sons (José Maximo, José Manuel and José Lasaro) (the first two being emancipated and the last about to be emancipated), two sitios in each of the above parajes. These lands are not occupied and are right next to Santa Cruz. He therefore asks that this be certified and that the file be returned to him so that he can send it to the State Government. He does not know how to sign his name, and the paper is signed by Donaciano García.]

[This land was granted to Juan Gerónimo Básquez (deceased), who never settled it. It therefore reverted to His Majesty, and in his name Goseascoechea gives it to Salinas, who will pay His Majesty an appropriate amount.]

[Most of his arguments are illegible, but they include the fact that the land was never settled and therefore has reverted to His Majesty. He also claims to have presented the order granting him possession of the land to de Treviño, who has refused to accept it or to let Salinas settle on the land. He presents this petition so that justice may be done.]

[He is to bring any documents that would support his claim to the disputed land. The proceedings are suspended until that time.]

[Treviño appeared before Judge José de Jesús García, who did not accept the evidence Treviño presented and therefore ordered???---this part is illegible.]

[He claims that Ygnacio de Ayala bought the land from his servant, Juan Gerónimo Vásquez, who received it when Fernando Palacios was giving out grants. After Ayala died, Prieto married his widow and so has been in possession of the land since 1787. María Josefa de Treviño, his wife, rented out the land to Pedro José Villarreal and therefore Salinas has not been allowed on the land. His neighbors can confirm this story. He cannot present original title since he is in Texas defending the Texas-Louisiana frontier and he does not have his personal papers with him. This land, however, is right next to his own land which he was granted. He has more right to it since he is not a stranger like Salinas is. Furthermore, the land is useless without the larger piece of land which he owns. He therefore petitions the governor to refuse the claim of Salinas. José Ygnacio de Treviño is his attorney and will represent him since he is away.]

[Ygnacio Anastacio Ayala received the land from Gerónimo Vásquez in payment of a debt. Juan José Salinas asked Captain Goceascoechea for the land, falsely claiming that it was not populated and unused. Captain Goceascoechea then issued an order giving the land to Salinas. Treviño then went to complain to Goceascoechea, who then issued another order telling him to get out, but he refused to obey the order. Treviño therefore asks that he be thrown off the land.]

[He claims that he did not know that a countervailing order had been issued negating his claim to the land and he requests a hearing so that justice may be done.]

[Salinas states that a tailor named Lorenzo wrote up his deposition and used certain ignoble expressions in describing Miguel Margain and Sergeant Manuel Nogaro. Although Salinas signed, he did not mean to do this. He now revokes this testimony and asks that he be excused since he does not know how to read and write well. He does not want to be dispossessed of his land because of this. He refutes Treviño's argument that he is illegally in possession of the land because he was given possession by the government. Furthermore, he claims that Prieto did not start renting the land to Pedro José Villarreal until May 1809, a month after he started living there. He claims that they did this because of envy. He then claims that Prieto is unable to find his title to the land because there is no title. He also refutes Prieto's argument that the land must be his since it is next to his land, saying that in that case, Nacogdoches belongs to the U.S.A. If Ayala received the land in payment of a debt, he should have paid a tax (derecho de alcabala), but no royal receipt has been produced. He therefore asks that the land be given to him, as it was on May 3, 1809, especially since the legal costs have been a heavy burden on his family.]

[He claims that although Anastacio de Ayala and Prieto never populated the ranch, their brothers-in-law and other individuals did, as did their wife, María Josefa de Treviño. He claims that the heirs of José Antonio Flores have the title to the land.]

[He knows Juan José Salinas, who is a native of Serralbo (Cerralvo) and came to this area when he married. He also knows José Ygnacio Treviño, who is from this town and is the son of an original settler. He also knows that both are Spaniards. He then confirms Treviño's account of the ownership of the land. He also claims that he and María de Josefa Treviño's brothers used the land. The lower boundary of the disputed land was known as the Charco de los Holmos (Pond of the Elm-Trees). Salinas came to him and showed him a small kitchen and a goat corral that he had built on the land and asked him to help build a house on it, but J.L. Treviño refused since he could not do that on land that did not belong to Salinas. He urged instead that Salinas build on his own Rancho del Salado.]

[He said Salinas had lived in the area about 9 years. He supported Treviño's account of the ownership of the land. He said that the land was rented to Manuel de la Garza and Pedro José Villarreal, among others. He claims that everyone knew that the land belonged to Anastacio de Ayala, who paid Vásquez 40 pesos for the land. The first installment of this payment was in the form of a broken horse. The witness is a Spaniard, widower of 70 years of age and originally from Cerralvo. He did not sign since he does not know how to write.]

[He testified that for four or five years he had used the land rent-free with the permission of Captain Pedro López Prieto and for the last two years he had rented it from Josefa de Treviño for five pesos per year. Villarreal is a 30 year old Spaniard from this town and is married. Although he and Salinas “tocan las Grles. de la Ley”, he has told the truth.]

[He said that he is a Spaniard from Cerralvo and the town of Reynosa and is married. He has lived for 17 years on the Rancho de las Cuevas which is on the boundary of the jurisdiction of Reynosa and for all of that time has known Prieto as the owner of the disputed land. He presents as further evidence the title to Rancho de las Cuevas which Juan Vega sold to de la Garza's father-in-law. This title mentions one of the boundaries of the land as being the land belonging to the heirs of Anastacio de Ayala. Judge García has seen this title. De la Garza is about 40 years old and did not sign because he does not know how to write.]

[He does not really have the resources to fully utilize the land anyway, so in the interests of peace with his Christian brothers, he gives up his right to the land. He will rent part of the land for three years at a rate of four pesos per year. Treviño accepts this agreement. Salinas does this of his own free will and not because he was afraid Justice would rule against him. Judge García therefore certifies this agreement.]

[Witnessed by Juan José de la Garza Montemayor, in which Chacón says there has been a total payment of 822 pesos.]

[José Ygnacio Ramírez owed Chacón 979 pesos, but Ramírez has left a will instructing that this debt is not to be paid. Perez Rey therefore asks that the property of Eugenio Ramírez be impounded to pay off the debt.]

[He requests that Pedro Ygnacio García, the secondary executor of the estate of José Ygnacio Ramírez will be allowed to represent the estate in this affair since he lives near Revilla, far from Camargo.]

[He lists all of his assets and debts. On page 59, he indicates he left 3 burros on land belonging to Pedro Prieto. This certified copy was made on March 16, 1809.]

[He states that he does not owe any money to Juan Chacón and directs that his estate should not pay this unjustified claim. This certified copy was made on March 17, 1809.]

[García, the son-in-law of José Ygnacio Ramírez, writes regarding the refusal of the Ramírez estate to pay debts claimed by Juan Bautista Chacón.]

[He ordered the two wills to be added to the file and the entire file given to José Perez Rey, the attorney for Juan Bautista Chacón.]

[He orders page 78 added to the file and orders a lawyer be consulted to decide the case. In the bottom paragraph he orders the appointment of lawyer José María Letona of Monterrey, and orders the papers handed over to him.]

[He informs José de Jesús García that he has been sick and has therefore moved to Saltillo. Papers should be sent to him there.]

[He states that two sitios of land owned by his mother, Antonia de Villarreal, had been rented since 1797 to Juan de la Garza y Montemayor. His mother died in 1807 and they have been unable to settle rent accounts since then. De la Garza y Montemayor claims that he settled accounts with Cisneros' brother, Juan Nepomuceno Cisneros, but José Antonio claims this is not true, and submits a letter written by Juan Nepomuceno to Mayor José Gregorio Chapa stating that de la Garza y Montemayor also refuses to allow Cisneros to sell the improvements he made upon the land, which include four huts, one corral and two bull pens. He therefore asks the judge to decide the case.]

[He admits that he wrote the letter to Provisional Governor Juanicotena only to influence him. He really has no claim against Juan de la Garza y Montemayor.]

[A letter from Juan José Montemayor to Mayor José Gregorio Chapa in which he affirms that in 1808 he settled his accounts with Nepomuceno Cisneros and that now José Antonio Cisneros is trying to say that the account is not settled.]

[Letter from Juan José de la Garza Montemayor to José Antonio Cisneros in which he says that he has settled accounts with Nepomuceno Cisneros and that José Antonio is entitled to one-half of the proceeds.]

[A letter from José Vicente López de Aterrera to José Antonio Cisneros discussing the produce of Rancho de las Burras.]

[Letter from María Antonia de Villarreal to Juan José de la Garza Montemayor informing him that she had given this land to her two sons in January. She asks that he settle accounts with her sons, giving them time to pay back the rent he has already paid. He is to be allowed to keep his personal belongings on the ranch until the rent is paid back.]

[Letter from Juan José de la Garza Montemayor to José Antonio Cisneros, asking him to come and settle accounts in person. He wishes to do this since they are good friends and he is sure they can do this without using judges, courts, etc. He urges doing this in person, however, since misunderstandings can arise when using the mails.]

[Letter from José Antonio Cisneros to Juan José de la Garza Montemayor, telling him that he will go to the ranch to settle accounts, along with his brother Nepomuceno. He also informs him that he may stay on the ranch as long as he likes since he still cannot pay him back. He may continue under his mother's lease, or he may draw up a new lease.]

[Letter from Juan José de la Garza Montemayor to José Antonio Cisneros in which he demands full payment of all the money owed to him.]

[He asks the City Council to certify that he has no summer pasture and that he does have livestock to put on a summer pasture that he would receive under Decree Number 24 of October 13, 1833. He has laid claim to three sitios of summer pasture for cattle in the paraje of the Lucero.]

[Jose Matías Ramírez of the City Council and Juan José Villarreal, Secretary of the City Council certify that Elizondo does not have a summer pasture, but that he does have livestock to put on a pasture. Elizondo is a native of Camargo, born there without having emigrated from it at any time for any reason.]

[He states that he has 130 head of cattle and a relay of horses without any land to graze them on. He therefore lays claim to three sitios of vacant national lands. He agrees to pay whatever price the land is valued at, and he petitions the mayor to have the land measured and claimed for him.]

[He orders that the owners of the lands around the Elizondo claim be notified that a claim has been laid on the land. Surveyor Canales, together with the town clerk, is to appraise the land.]

[Juan José de la Garza (appraiser for the government) and Juan Manuel Ramíres (appraiser for Elizondo) appeared before Mayor Ramírez and accepted their appointments and swore they would carry out their duties to the best of their abilities.]

[He appoints Joaquin Canales and Juan José Villareal as accountants, Leonardo Bargas and Blas Morales as overseers, and Pedro García as summer pasture expert (perito). All of them swore to do their best.]

[Mayor Ramírez, the Surveyor and witnesses walked around the land to make a reconnaissance and discovered that the land was level with oak trees and a few small lakes which will not hold water longer than 15 days.]

[Mayor Ramírez, the Surveyor, the Accountants, Overseers and Summer Pasture Expert all measured the parcel of land. The exact measurement of the parcel is then described. The exact measurements are listed.]

[He gives thirty pesos to Ramírez, who is sending the money, together with the file, to the Governor so that he can settle the matter.]

[This is a map, with a description of the boundaries of the land and the names of the surrounding pastures. It is signed by Surveyor Attorney Antonio Canales.]

[The mayor is to give Elizondo possession of the land. He therefore sends the file to the mayor, and orders it be returned to the archives of the State Government after Elizondo is given possession of the land.]

[He petitioned the City Council to certify that he has no pasture, but does have sufficient livestock to utilize a pasture. He states that he is a native of Camargo and has never emigrated elsewhere, even when the town was repeatedly attacked by barbaric Indians. He does not know how to sign his name.]

[José Manuel de Chapa and Juan José Villarreal (the Secretary) of the City Council certify that Vargas has sufficient livestock to utilize a pasture, but does not have one. They also certify that he has lived continuously in Camargo for 18 years. The paper is returned to Vargas so that he can continue his efforts.]

[Vargas states that he wants the land in the paraje of Guadalupe because he has cattle but has been unable to increase his herd for the good of the State because he has no land and has been forced to bother with rented lands. The boundaries of the land are: to the south, national lands, to the north measured lands of Ygnacio Peña, to the west measured lands of Juan Guerra and to the east, public lands. He petitions the City Council to survey the land so that he can obtain title to it.]

[Appraisers Juan José de la Garza and Juan Manuel Ramírez (the first for the government and the second for Vargas) were notified of their appointment, and both swore that they would do the best they could.]

[He appointed Juan Villarreal and Joaquín Canales as Accountants, Blas Morales and Clemente Treviño as Overseers, and Pedro García as Expert of the Summer Pasture (Perito). All of them accepted their appointments and swore they would perform their duties faithfully.]

[Ramirez went out to Guadalupe with the Surveyor and witnesses and looked around the land and noted that it is flat, with a hillock of oak trees, and a few lakes which will not hold water for even 15 days.]

[Ramirez, together with the Surveyor, Accountants, Overseers and Expert of Summer Pasture measured out the land. There follows an exact description of the measurements of the land and the names of the surrounding parcels of land.]

[The appraisers, being notified of all of the above, agreed that a reasonable price for the land is ten pesos per sitio since the land has no running waters and no folds for cattle.]

[Map drawn up by State Surveyor Antonio Canales includes a description of the boundaries and of the surrounding parcels of land.]

[He therefore orders that title to Guadalup be issued to Leandro (note Leandro, not Leonardo) Vargas. He orders the Mayor of Camargo to put Vargas in possession of the land.]

[He petitioned the City Council to certify that he does not own land but does have livestock so that he can secure title to 2 1/2 sitios in El Paisano.]

[He certifies that Garza was born in this town and orders that the file be returned to Garza.]

[He states that he has cattle and horses, but no land to graze them on. He has found vacant national land which he wishes to claim and will pay a fair price for it. We will also pay all legal costs.]

[He orders that the neighbors of the claim be given judicial notice. The State Surveyor, Attorney Antonio Canales is to be notified that the land is to be claimed and measured.]

[He orders that the neighbors be given judicial notice and that the State Surveyor should be notified. The town clerk is to serve as an appraiser, together with one for Garza.]

[Before Ramírez appeared the appraisers Juan José de la Garza (for the government) and Juan Manuel Ramirez (for Garza), who were notified of their appointment. Both swore to perform their duties faithfully.]

[He appointed Juan José Villarreal and Clemente Treviño as Accountants, Blas Morales and Joaquín Canales as Overseers, and Pedro García as Expert of the Summer Pasture. All accepted their appointments and promised to perform their duties faithfully.]

[Ramírez found that the land is flat with a few small lakes that will not hold water for more than 15 days. The Surveyor and witnesses were with him.]

[Ramírez, the State Surveyor, Accountants and Overseers measured the land. There follows a description of the measurement, together with a listing of the boundaries of the claim and a listing of the owners of the surrounding parcels of land.]

[The appraisers were notified of the above and arrived at the price of 10 pesos, since there is no running water and no folds for cattle.]

[Map includes a description of the boundaries of the land and the surrounding parcels. Signed by Surveyor Antonio Canales.]

[He petitioned the City Council to certify that he has livestock, but no land, so that he can buy four sitios in the paraje of Santa Gertrudis. He does not know how to sign his name.]

[Mayor Ramírez certifies that Sanchez has livestock, but no land and that he was born in Camargo and has never emigrated anywhere else.]

[He petitioned to have the land measured since he owns 150 head of cattle and 70 horses and mules. but has no land. There being no other industries in the area, he is forced to ranch and claims five sitios to the north of town on the coast of Santa Gertrudis in a place commonly known as la Rucia. He lists the owners of the lands surrounding the claim.]

[He orders the neighbors and the Surveyor to be notified that four sitios (not five, as on page 5) have been claimed. The town clerk is to serve as the government appraiser.]

[Juan José de la Garza (for the government) and Juan Manuel Ramíres (for Sanchez) appeared before Ramírez and accepted their appointments as appraisers. They swore to perform their duties faithfully.]

[Ramírez appointed Juan José Villarreal and José Lázaro Elizondo as Accountants, Blas Morales and Leonardo Bargas as Overseers, and Pedro García as Expert of the Summer Pasture. All of them accepted their appointments and swore to perform their duties faithfully.]

[In the presence of the Surveyor and witnesses, Ramírez inspected the land and found it to be flat, with a few good pastures and a few small lakes that will not hold water for even fifteen days since they have no way of collecting rain runoffs.]

[Ramírez, the Accountants, Overseers, Expert and Surveyor measured the five sitios. There follows an exact description of the boundaries and of the surrounding neighbors.]

[The appraisers valued the land at ten pesos per sitio since it does not have running water or folds for cattle.]

[The map includes a description of the boundaries and neighbors of the five sitios. It is signed by Surveyor Antonio Canales.]

[He reminds the mayor of Camargo that he should put Sanchez in possession of the land, and he reminds Sánchez that he should construct durable boundary markers so that future disputes can be avoided.]

[The Mayor of Camargo is to put him in possession of the land. A copy of this file is to be made for the Municipal Archives and the original is to be returned to the State Archives. Sánchez is not to forget to set up landmarks so that boundaries will not be confused.]

[He petitions the City Council to certify that he has no land and that he deserves land under Decree Number 24 of October 13, 1833 so that he can claim three sitios in La Alameda. He does not know how to sign his name.]

[Mayor Ramírez certifies that Ballarena has livestock but no land for them and that he is a native-born citizen of Camargo who has never emigrated.]

[Ballarena states that he has 100 head of cattle and 60 horses without pasture lands for them. He then describes the lands surrounding his claim and asks that measurements be taken of the land.]

[He orders that the neighbors and Surveyor be notified and that the town clerk be appointed as an appraiser for the government. The land is to be measured.]

[Juan José de la Garza (government appraiser) and Juan Manuel Ramírez (appraiser for Ballarena) were notified of their appointments, which they accepted. They swore to perform their duties faithfully.]

[He appointed Juan José Villareal and José Lázaro Elizondo as Accountants, Blas Morales and Leonardo Bargas as Overseers, and Pedro García as Expert. They accepted their appointments and swore to perform their duties faithfully.]

[Ramírez, with the Surveyor and witnesses, investigated the land and found it to be flat with a few hillocks of oak and a few small lakes which would not hold water for even 15 days.]

[Ramírez, together with the Surveyor, Overseers Accountants and Expert measured the land. There follows an account of the measurement with an exact description of the boundaries of the land and the surrounding lands.]

[The Appraisers were notified of the above. They then set the value of the land at ten pesos per sitio since the land does not have running water or folds for cattle.]

[Underneath the map is a description of the boundaries of the grant and a description of the surrounding grants, signed by Attorney Antonio Canales.]

[He is therefore entitled to the title. The Mayor of Camargo is to put him in possession of the land and Sarate is to erect boundary markers so that there will be no complicated litigation later over boundaries.]

[The Mayor is to give him possession of the land, make a copy of the file for the Municipal Archives, and send the original file back to the State Archives. Zarate y bayarena is not to forget to build boundary markers.]