by J. J. Bowden
On March 2, 1893, Francisca Lujan, for herself and the other heirs, assigns and legal representatives of Manuel Tenorio, filed suit against the United States in the Court of Private Land Claims praying for the confirmation of the Manuel Tenorio Grant.[1] In her petition, Lujan alleged that sometime prior to 1732, Tenorio had received a complete and perfect grant covering a tract of land described as being bounded:
On the north, by the acequia madre to the Ceja de Piedra on the north bank of the Santa Fe River opposite the arroyo emptying into the Santa Fe River at the lime kiln at the Penasco and east following the Santa Fe River; on the east, by a deep arroyo in front of the furnace together with the upper acequia madre; on the south, by the lands granted to Juan Cayetano Lovato and Juan de Leon Brito; and on the west, by the Pecos Road.
She alleged that all direct record evidence of the grant had been lost, but the validity of the grant was supported by references thereto in a number of papers from the archives,[2] and especially the call for adjoinder contained in the grant papers for the Juan de Leon Brito Grant.[3] She estimated that the grant contained 600 acres, which had been in the peaceful possession of Tenorio and his heirs and legal representatives since the date of its issuance. She claimed interests in the land by inheritance and purchase.
Since the grant was located within the boundaries of the Santa Fe League and there was no direct evidence that a grant had ever been made to Tenorio, the plaintiff announced in open court that she no longer wished to prosecute her suit when it came up for trial on February 3, 1898. Therefore, the court dismissed her petition and rejected the grant.[4]
[1] Lujan v. United States, No 188 (Mss,, Records of the Ct Pvt. L. Cl.).
[2] Archives Nos. 38, 85 and 296 (Mss, Records of the A.N.M.).
[3] Archives No. 85 (Mss, Records of the A.N.M.).
[4] 3 Journal 341 (Mss., Records of the Ct Pvt L, CL.).
Manuel Tenorio Grant; J.J. Bowden research on land grants; Spanish colonial period