The Peralta-Fish Map

[Choto]

From the cross examination of Miguel Lauro Peralta y Vasques.

Question (54) In what year did your father first go to Arizona?
A. "About 1862."

Question (57) Did he own the mines himself?
A. "Yes, sir; not one, but many. I have got the deeds to show it".

Question (58) Did your father purchase the mines?
A. "No, sir; he discovered them."

Sometime during or after 1862, Antonio Pablo Peralta discovered the Black Canyon mines.
By 1864, he was superintendent overseeing the work of perhaps 60 Mexican and 25 American miners, the same year his son Miguel Lauro Peralta y Vasques sold the fraudulent floating grant to Dr. Willing.

Pablo Peralta Grantor to Wm. Flower 22 May, 1865 1000' Valencia (Corbin).

[Choto]

Enjoy one of my favorite photographs of the range courtasy Mike Olbinski Photography.

mike.jpg

[Choto]

Wandering Peoples arrived - Thank you Joe!

[Joe Ribaudo]

Choto,

No problem. It's a great read for those researching the history of old Mexico.

Cynthia wrote this on page 187:


"On the eve of the expulsion of the Jesuits, Don Salvador Julián Moreno owned the Hacienda de Jamaica and let out some of the land to tenant families. Don Salvador and his wife, Doña Beatriz Vázquez, together held property in Tonibabi and Toiserobabi, a ranch in the vicinity of Oposura, in addition to the hacienda -- now christened San Joseph de Jamaica. In 1765, Moreno burdened his estate with a capellanía -- a lien that generated an annual interest payment of 5 percent -- to benefit his son Joseph Maria Buenaventura Moreno, who was studying for the priesthood at the Colegio de San Yldefonso in Mexico City. The principal totaled 4,000 pesos: half that amount came from the legacy (which Don Salvador and Doña Beatriz had matched) of Juan Joseph de Grijalba, a secular priest and family friend. Thirty years later, the capellanía remained in place, but the hacienda had deteriorated to the point that the annual payments of 200 pesos had lapsed.

Subsequently the Moreno family lost ownership of Jamaica, and the hacienda was split into several smaller properties. In 1773, Blas Peralta, a long-time resident of Jamaica, registered two contiguous pieces of land measuring approximately six-tenths of a sitio. One portion, named San Antonio de la Plateria, he had received in inheritance from his grandfather; the second portion he purchased as grazing land, a realengo referred to as "lo de Argüelles." Blas's mother and aunt had sold off sections of their joint inheritance, and Blas wanted to secure this part in which to run his livestock. Peralta's property bordered on Cumpas mission lands to the north; to the east and south it met the private holdings of Juan and Pedro Ballesteros; and to the west it abutted the hacienda. Juan Mazón, teniente de alcalde mayor y capitán a guerra, proprietor of the Hacienda de Jécori, approved Peralta's petition and forwarded it to Arizpe. It was not until 1789 that Licenciado Alonso Tresierra y Cano, teniente letrado y subdelegado, authorized Peralta's claim in the name of the intendant, avowing that it did not violate the property rights of the pueblo of Cumpas or of any individual Indian families. "

I usually read the Index of new books, to zero in on the facts or people I am looking for. Blas Peralta is the name you might find of interest.

You might also read this thread: http://www.thelostdutchmangoldmine.com/ ... alta#p2975

Good luck,

Joe

[Joe Ribaudo]

Choto,

Don't know if you are already doing this, but on some of these old sites you can enter a word or name, such as Ballesteros in the search function of the site and come up with some interesting facts/sources.

You are researching areas that have been searched before.

Good luck,

Joe

[Choto]

Thank you Joe.
So many ideas to explore.

In all my research, I seem to always end up returning to the Presidio San Agustín del Tucson. We know that Cristobal's mother and aunt are connected to the Presidio thru their father Bernardo Cruz and that Anza was there at various times. Many of the names we write about can be found there. I don't fully understand the significance yet but, the proximity of the White Dove of the Desert is curious. Kino and the Jesuits, then the Franciscans, not to mention the deep Basque connections. All very curious.

For example, look at the life of Jose Maria Peralta,

"José María Peralta was born about 1825-1835 in Tubac, Sonora, Mexico. He was a Corporal in the Cavalry at the Tucson military colony. On 26 May 1848, José was among the men who could vote in Tucson. On 1 September 1855 he was serving with the boundary escort. José was married prior to 1860 to Concepcion (Cruz) Romero. Concepcion was born circa 1838-1844 in Tubac, Sonora. On 3 August 1860, José María lived with his wife and his sister Cecilia Peralta (age 20) in Tucson. He worked as a farmer, owned $100 in real estate, and $100 in personal property. José took up a parcel on the Plaza de la Mesilla in May 1861. In 1864, José was working as a trader in Tucson, with $300 in personal possessions. He lived there Concepcion and Cecelia (age 24 born in Tubac). On 8 July 1870, José María and “Concension” lived with 15-year-old Juana “Parelta” at Calabasas, where José worked as a farmer. The family owned $300 in real estate and $350 in personal property. On 3 June 1880, José and Concepcion were living along the Santa Cruz River near Tucson. José was working as a rancher.

José María Peralta and Concepcion/Cruz Romero were the parents of two children: Santiago Peralta was born circa 1875. He died on 17 June 1877 in Tucson and was buried in the Catholic cemetery the following day. Benjamin Peralta was born circa January/February 1879. He died on 16 December 1879 in Tucson and was buried the following day in the Catholic cemetery."

Pioneer Families of the Tucson Presidio

Jose Maria Peralta stayed in Tucson after the Americans arrived. A careful look at his life tells us that he had other children, that after 40 years of marriage, he filed for divorce claiming spousal abandonment. Most curios is the fact that this professional soldier turned to mining.

Jose Maria gives an insider's account of the discovery of the Grijalva mine near Fool's Canyon in 1894. This was a "Mexican" discovery on the Hassayampa and the approach jealously guarded with shotguns.

"Last night Jose Peralta came to town and told a story about the mine which has never been told Before. He has been working for the Grijalvas but has quit, but he says that mine at Fool's Canyon is the richest mine ever discovered in America, the richest at any rate he has ever seen and he has seen all the big ones on the coast since the firsts one was discovered by white men."

AZR 1894

I think that Tucson will eventually prove the key to understanding the Peralta family and their experiences in the Superstitions. Time will tell.

But I am fairly certain that while it sounds incredible, this remains a story of Basque explorers.

[Choto]

Choto,

Don't know if you are already doing this, but on some of these old sites you can enter a word or name, such as Ballesteros in the search function of the site and come up with some interesting facts/sources.

You are researching areas that have been searched before.

Good luck,

Joe

Yes, thank you Joe.
Most everything has been searched you are 100% correct however, some of the connections have been overlooked.

Joe, I can now place Miguel L Peralta in San Francisco in 1862. He went there looking for Jesus Noe only to find that he had just died. As you know Jesus's son Miguel Noe was indicted on conspiracy charges in connection to the Reavis fraud and ultimately fled to Mexico. Years later Miguel Noe Sr. returned to San Francisco and died there just before the quake of 1906. His son Miguel Noe Jr. died in 1908.

Is this the same person?

"Names of mines and locators in Silver Mining District recorded from January 1st, 1878 to February 21st, 1879:

• Azure King, Miguel Noe
  Hope, Miguel Noe, H. Fleishman
  Last Chance, Miguel Noe, H. Fleishman."

[/i]AZ Sentinel 22 Feb, 1879



Despite the fact that Miguel L. Peralta was well known, even widely liked, by 1897 his past had caught up to him. Facing prosecution, his fortune gone, suicide was in his exhausted mind, a way out.

And, I am not certain of it but, I think that his son Miguel Peralta Jr. was hung by the state of Arizona in 1916.

Not difficult to come away with the impression that the Peraltas were "cursed".

[Choto]

"One of the many to be stricken with this "gold fever" was Dr. George M. Willing, the author of the diary here published. Dr.Willing was a resident of St. Louis. He was a physician by profession, and was described by the Rocky Mountain News as a "good geologist and a most polished gentleman." "

Matthew Roberts,
You wrote that the Peraltas were given a type of grant and provided an example but no proof. I was honestly skeptical until looking at Dr. Willing, especially after reading his diary. Willing falling for campfire tales in Black Canyon just seems highly unlikely to me. Meaning, Miguel L., Don Antonio P. and the other men there that night sold one hell of a convincing story. I haven't seen the original campfire greasy paper agreement but, they all signed it.

Why not just kill "Doc" Willing and take his things, his gold, gear, and animals? Who would have known?

Dr. Willing was convinced of something or, and it is possible, the gabusinos got him drunk.
He did drink.

Saturday, May 28
"Made the unpleasant discovery this morning that the last drop of my whisky was lost; the keg having been somehow upset in the night, all the contents escaped. Serious loss in this part of the world; feel upset myself in consequence ; can't drink your health this cool morning. What a pity!"

I am not saying that the scam Reavis grew was legitimate, only that the initial agreement between the Peraltas and "Doc" Willing may have some truth to it. No evidence that I know of but I am now open to your idea of some type of official Spanish/Mexican permission being given to the Peraltas which was then transferred thru sale to Willing. Again, if the Superstitions were being worked legitimately, there must be a record of it somewhere.

My guess is that the Peraltas found and worked the Sups in the mid 1800's. 1840's.
But, I also think that they knew where to look.

[Joe Ribaudo]

Choto,

While that area did produce, some, gold they were primarily silver mines.

Good luck,

Joe

[Matthew Roberts]

The Peralta land grant sold to George Willing in October 1864 in Black Canyon was 100% legitimate and not a fraud.

Peralta land grant cover page 1748.jpg

What James Reavis and Charles Gitt did was go to Mexico City where this original grant was in the archives where they cleverly changed the page number on one page of the grant, and inserted a fraudulent page into the grant that expanded the Peralta grant into a MUCH larger grant of land.


Only the page number in the upper right corner was changed by Reavis on one page of the Peralta grant.


An entire page was inserted into the Peralta land grant by Reavis to make it a MUCH larger grant of land.


Thats it, beginning, middle, end of story.

Miguel Peralta and his father did not sell Willing a fraudulent grant, James Reavis and Charles Gitt turned it into a fraudulent grant.

Did George Willing know about James Reavis and Charles Gitt's plan to enlarge the grant ?

In my opinion, it's possible but I do not believe he did. I believe he may have been murdered because he was the only person who could have upset Reavis and Gitt's plans.

Matthew Roberts