CHIHUAHUA. 
From the days of Fray Agustin Rodriguez and Espejo the region that is 
now Chihuahua served as the foreground of New Mexico. In the seven- 
teenth and eighteenth centuries Santa Barbara and Parral were at times the - 
military headquarters for Nueva Viscaya, whose nominal capital was at 
Durango. After 1659 Paso del Norte and Casas Grandes became missionary 
outposts, and the former place, after the revolt of 1680, became the primary 
base of operations for the recovery and maintenance of New Mexico. For 
many years Janos was an important stronghold against the frontier tribes. 
The city of Chihuahua was founded later than these other places, but when it 
became the capital of the Interior Provinces in 1777 (see p. 75), it rose into 
primacy among all the northern settlements of Mexico. Early in the nine- 
teenth century it became one of the objective points of the overland traders 
from Missouri through Santa Fé, and for this reason and as capital of the 
Interior Provinces of the West, it ranked with Monterrey as an outpost 
against the American advance to the Southwest. During the War with Mex- 
ico it was occupied by American troops, and since then has been an important 
centre of frontier relations. These are only a few of the points of contact 
between the United States and the state of Chihuahua. 
In this state archives were visited at Chihuahua, Parral, Santa Barbara, and 
Juarez. 
ARCHIVO DE LA SECRETARIA DE GOBIERNO. 
(ARCHIVE OF THE SECRETARIAT OF GOVERNMENT. ) 
PAPELES VIEJOS. 
(Old Papers.) 
These papers, marked “Siglo XVII”, “ Siglo XVIII”, and “ Diversos ”, 
consist mainly of the records of the Alcaldia of Santa Rosa de Cusihuiriachic, 
a settlement much older than Chihuahua. Besides these Santa Rosa records 
there are a few local records of San Felipe el Real de Chihuahua, and a few 
documents from the archive of the commandancy-general of the Interior 
Provinces, chiefly for the period when the headquarters were at Arispe. The 
papers are arranged in legajos. Only items of iterest for our purpose are 
noted here. 
Legajo F. 
Circular by the Lieut.-Gov. of Chihuahua to the alcalde mayor of Santa 
Rosa concerning Oconor’s general campaign of 1772. 
Papers from the archive of the commandancy-general. 
Measures for providing arms and powder for New Mexico. 1779. 
Correspondence concerning the petition of Father Garcés for alms 
for the Yuma Indians, at the time when he was founding their 
missions. 1780. 
Expediente concerning Apache captives taken by the captain of 
Tucson. 1780. 
Correspondence concerning the property of the Jesuits at Villa de 
Sinaloa. 1780. 
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