The Spanish-Mexican Records of the San Jose Pueblo (1792-1850)

atHistory San José & San Jose Public

Library

Cate MillsProject Archivist, History San Jose

cmills@historysanjose.org

About History San José

Poster given to Clyde Arbuckle in 1966 by students visiting his museum at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds (History San José Collection)

About History San José

About History San José

This 1 June 1781 map of Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe is the first known map of what is today San Jose, California. It represents the original site of the pueblo from November 1777 to approximately 1797.

Founding of the Pueblo

Document creation

-- Hubert Howe Bancroft

Volume 6, page 714 November 30, 1807

Itemized account of taxes collected in kind and cash for the year 1807. Items covered include wheat, corn, bean, other farm products, cattle, and sheep. Producers and amounts are listed. Signed Luis Peralta, San Jose.

Volume 6, pages 703-704July 12, 1799

Call to arms in case of invasion by English frigates reported off coast. Signed Hermenegildo Sal, Monterey

Volume 3, pages 550 - 553October 25, 1800

Antonio Hernandez is drunkard and troublemaker; crop disposal by settlers vs. retired soldiers. Signed Hermenegildo Sal, Monterey

Volume 4, pages 654-657February 20, 1802

Expresses concern over the welfare of the Indians in the San Jose area. Many have died in an epidemic, and it is feared that the Indians are being mistreated. Signed Raimundo Carrillo, Monterey

Copy of Surveyor General’s certificate included in original bound volumes of archives, 1858.

Document chronology

Bancroft, Bibliography of Californian History

Previous projects● 1930s: WPA project translated 166

documents● 1959: Microfilming at Bancroft● 1966: Print index created with English

language summaries. Example:

1792: Oct. 15; v. 3, p. 332. A proclamation imposing payment of 3% taxes in Alta California. Addressed to all presidio commanders. Signed José Joaquín de Arrillaga, San Diego.

Previous projects

1995-2005: Jose Pantoja and Patsy Castro Ludwig arrange documents in chronological order and update the 1966 index

1998: “A Year in the Life of a Spanish Colonial Pueblo”

2004: Select documents available on Calisphere as part of Silicon Valley History Online project

Current Project

Objectives

● Catalog each record

● Increase awareness of the records

● Provide search access and high quality images

● Create digital surrogates to reduce use of originals

Partners/Users

● General public● History San José● California Pioneers of Santa Clara County● Mexican Consulate● Spanish language scholars at SJSU, SCU● Other disciplines - history, social sciences, law, Latin

American & Mexican studies● Digital surrogates make research and remote

collaboration much easier !

Issues

● No Unique IDs or numbering system - needed to match up physical documents to the digital index

● Language barrier - handwriting, abbreviations, 18th/19th century usage● Standardizing names

o spelling variants (Ygnacio/Ignacio, Chaboya/Chabolla) o full names/inconsistent middle names

Arrillaga, José Joaquín or de Arrillaga, José Joaquin? José Antonio de la Guerra y Noriega uses a combination of

names in his signature. The LC authorized name is Guerra y Noriega, José de la, 1779-1858

● Numbering and matching transcriptions and translations to the originals

Choosing a platform

● PastPerfect Online● OAC/Calisphere● CONTENTdm● Google/Cloud-based documents● Google Cultural Exhibits● Making sure that whatever scanning specs

we use can be re-used for other services

Online access

San Jose Public Library (40 papers):http://digitalcollections.

sjlibrary.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/

pueblodocs

Online access

History San José website:

http://historysanjose.org/wp/research-collection/

collections/pueblo-papers/

Online access

PastPerfect Online

http://historysanjose.pastperfect-online.com

Online access

PastPerfect Online

http://historysanjose.pastperfect-online.com

Future and Ongoing● Physical and online exhibits● Ongoing work to complete

transcripts/translations● Incorporate into educational programs● Work with other institutions to increase

access and awareness of Spanish-Mexican era records

● Duplicate project with City of San Jose records