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RG 114

Yuma County

Yuma County was the third county created by the first Territorial Legislature in 1864. It was named for the Yuma Indians. La Paz was the first county seat. An act approved January 26, 1871, changed the county seat to Arizona City which later became the City of Yuma.

Assessment rolls. 1881-1941. 38.7 c.f. (129 volumes).
Assessment rolls include original, duplicate and delinquent rolls, and not all years are available. An assessment list, in two parts, P-T and T-Z (A-O missing), is included for 1941.
Indices. 1907-1937. 2.4 c.f. (8 volumes).
Include an index to land owners and leases, 1907-1929, arranged by legal description; a cross index of homes in townships, additions and subdivisions, 1929-1930, arranged by lot and block; and two volumes of real estate owners and surveys, 1932 and 1937, arranged by legal description.
Auto register. 1936-1944. Fraction c.f. (1 volume).
The auto register lists car owners, 1936-1944, and is arranged chronologically.

Dockets. 1888-1908 and 1920-1946. 9 c.f. (30 volumes).
Volumes include both civil and criminal dockets and one volume labeled Coroner's Docket which lists jurors for inquests.

Voting registers. 1882-1926. 8.4 c.f. (28 volumes).
Records include great registers, 1882-1910; grand registers, 1918-1926; and a precinct register, 1914. Not all years are available for all precincts.

Mortgages. 1865-1974. 30.9 c.f. (103 volumes).
Mortgage records include chattel mortgages, 1889-1961; indices to chattel mortgages, 1909-1964; realty mortgages, 1903-1932; assignments of mortgages and leases, 1919-1948; indices to assignments of mortgages and leases, 1890-1974; releases of mortgages, 1901-1948; indices to releases of mortgages, 1916-1987; mortgages, 1897-1938; indices to mortgages, 1870-1924; and real estate mortgages, 1923-1927. Mortgage records are divided among real property, personal property and chattel, then between mortgagee and mortgagor. Mortgage volumes are arranged chronologically. Indices to mortgage records are by mortgagee and mortgagor and arranged alphabetically by last name.

Liens. 1889-1936. 2.4 c.f. (8 volumes).
Liens include lis pendens notices, 1889-1928, which refer to attachments on property. Volumes also include notices of attachments on real estate, 1889-1948.

Affidavits of labor and improvements. 1903-1948. 3.6 c.f. (12 volumes).
Affidavits of labor and improvements include affidavits and indices, 1903-1948. These relate to unpatented mines and are notarized affidavits of the work and improvements done annually.

Bonds and agreements. 1880-1961. 3.6 c.f. (12 volumes).
Records include bonds and agreements, 1897-1907; indices, 1880-1929; notarial commissions, 1956-1961; and official bonds of county officers. There are a number of types of bonds in this grouping. An index, 1910-1929, is arranged alphabetically by grantee, while a second index, 1910-1926, is arranged alphabetically by grantor.

Personal property abstracts. 1913. Fraction c.f. (1 volume).

Platbooks. 1913-1914 and n.d. Fraction c.f. (2 volumes).
One volume is a township platbook which lists section one township 5-8, lot, section, name and date of patent. The other volume is an undated platbook of school lands.

Corporation appointments. 1902-1918. Fraction c.f. (3 volumes).
These volumes are indices to appointments of statutory agents for corporations, arranged alphabetically by corporation name.

Articles of incorporation. 1902-1948. 1.8 c.f. (6 volumes).
Volumes contain articles of incorporation for Arizona companies. Arranged chronologically.

Partnerships. 1912-1928. Fraction c.f. (1 volume).

Physicians' diplomas and licenses. 1912-1948. Fraction c.f. (2 volumes).
Physicians' licenses include physicians' diplomas, 1913-1948, and licenses to practice for physicians, optometrists and nurses, 1928-1948.

Records of mines and indices. 1864-1948. 22.2 c.f. (74 volumes).
Records include records of mines, 1964-1948, and indices to mines, 1903-1924. The records of mines are arranged chronologically by filing date while the indices are alphabetical by last name or by mine name.

Water rights deeds. 1891-1903. Fraction c.f. (3 volumes).
Water rights deeds are for the Colorado Irrigation Company, the Irrigation Land and Improvement Company, and the Colorado Delta Canal Company. These are printed forms.

Water appropriations. 1913-1921. Fraction c.f. (1 volume).
Appropriations contain notices which list name, claim number, number of water inches and pressure, source of water, diversion of water, legal description of property to receive water, from where and to where diverted, the name of company if one was filing, the date and the recording information.

Water contracts. 1917-1944. 1.2 c.f. (4 volumes).
Contracts are printed forms from the Department of the Interior. They are water rights applications for lands and list project number, date, name, legal description of property, cost per acre of property and the date recorded. They are witnessed and notarized.

Leases. 1906-1948. 2.1 c.f. (7 volumes).
Volumes list names of people agreeing to the lease as landlord and tenant, a legal description of the property being leased and notarization.

Conditional sales and contracts. 1919-1948. 2.7 c.f. (9 volumes).
Records include conditional sales, 1919-1948; contracts, 1935-1941; indices to contracts, 1919-1935; and bills of sale, 1920-1948. Conditional sales contracts, 1935-1941, are arranged chronologically. The indices to conditional sales contracts, 1919-1935, are divided between buyer and seller and arranged alphabetically by last name. Bills of sale, 1920-1948, are real estate records.

Redemption certificates. 1930-1948. 2.4 c.f. (8 volumes).
Certificates are printed forms for real estate redemption after sale for delinquent taxes.

Claims and deeds. 1862-1876. Fraction c.f. (2 volumes and 1 roll of microfilm).
Deeds and claims for land in New Mexico Territory, La Paz County. There is also a Village of Yuma lot and block book, 1876.

Protest register. 1925-1932. Fraction c.f. (1 volume).
The register is for the Yuma Anti-noxious Weed District.

Powers of attorney. 1863-1948. 1.5 c.f. (5 volumes).
These volumes are power of attorney filings, 1918-1948, and three indices, two by grantor, 1863-1914.

Separate property of married women. 1889. Fraction c.f. (1 volume).
This volume is the recording of a woman's intention to retain her property in her name after marriage.

Clerk of the Court. 1864-1949. 4.2 c.f. (14 volumes and 1 roll of microfilm).
Clerk's records include minutes, 1864-1883; registers of actions, 1870-1920, both civil and criminal; judgments, 1872-1949, including abstracts and index; and dockets, 1879-1900.

Civil Division. 1864-1941. 6 c.f. (1 box, 15 volumes and 264 rolls of microfilm).
Records include marriage applications, 1895-1941; marriage licenses and certificates, 1889-1930; a register of marriages for La Paz and Yuma, 1864-1906; and civil cases, 1912-1922. The marriage records include five indices. NOTE: The register of marriages for La Paz and Yuma includes a probate case, #94. The civil cases begin with case #1910 and end with case #7960.

Criminal Division. 1877-1940. Fraction c.f. (20 rolls of microfilm).
Criminal records are cases, 1877-1940, #1-2277. Arranged chronologically.

Probate Division. 1864-1941 and 1965-1968. 5.2 c.f. (4 boxes, 4 volumes and 36 rolls of microfilm).
Probate records include naturalization records, 1906-1968; cases, 1864-1941, #1-1303; an index to wills, 1876; and a book of letters and bonds with index, 1873-1902.

Records created by the Board. 1871-1964. 6.9 c.f. (23 document boxes).
Records include Clerk of the Board reports, 1899-1930; appointments, resignations, requests, oaths and bonds, 1872-1937; resolutions and ordinances, 1910-1932; correspondence and reports, 1897-1946; budgets, 1919-1938; county property inventories, 1871-1912; franchises, 1909-1964; districts, 1913-1961; and agreements, bonds and contracts, 1871-1937.
Clerk of the Board reports, 1899-1930, are the monthly, quarterly and annual reports filed by the Clerk of the Board. The reports list expenses of the County as well as monies received by the Board. Appointments, resignations, requests, oaths and bonds, 1872-1937, deal with county officials and other personnel matters. Resolutions and ordinances, 1910-1932, contain resolutions passed by the Board and ordinances proposed by the City. Correspondence and reports, 1897-1946, has the most variety of record types. This group documents many of the activities of the Board such as overseeing the budget, county officials and county facilities.
Budgets, 1919-1938, contain budget estimates, school census statistics, worksheets and assessment papers. County property inventories, 1871-1912, are lists of county-owned property in the hands of officials. It includes a map of the Mohawk Valley. Franchises, 1909-1964, are franchise papers that document the development of public utilities in the county.
Districts, 1913-1961, contain petitions, correspondence, election results, maps, minutes, articles of incorporation and dissolution papers that document the water, irrigation and power districts in the county. Agreements, bonds and contracts, 1871-1937, contain bonds, contracts, reports and agreements that document the financing and building of county facilities.

Records received by the Board. 1864-1955. 17.4 c.f. (53 document boxes and 5 volumes).
Records include Assessor's Office, 1874-1937; District Attorney, 1871-1938; County Physician and Hospital, 1904-1945; Indigent applications, 1910-1928; County Farm, 1910-1923; Health and Welfare minutes, 1907-1917; Justice of the Peace, Coroner and Constable, 1891-1931; Recorder's Office, 1898-1932; Sheriff's Office, 1897-1931; County Surveyor and Public Roads, 1881-1955; Treasurer's Office, 1875-1943; Superintendent of Schools, 1898-1932; Superior Court, 1870-1931; and Original Instruments, 1864-1949.
Assessor's Office records, 1874-1937, include reports, assessments, widows affidavits and firemen and National Guard membership lists. Included in these files are assessment lists for the Southern Pacific Railroad Company and early telephone companies in Yuma. District Attorney files, 1871-1938, include petitions, opinions, juror lists, affidavits and tax lists. County Physician and Hospital records, 1904-1945, include physicians' reports, hospital reports and a pediatric night orders log. Indigent applications, 1910-1928, are affidavits from indigents requesting assistance. County Farm records, 1910-1923, contain reports, indigent affidavits and stock lists. Health and Welfare minutes, 1907-1917, are in two folders and include the Board of Health and the Board of Child Welfare.
Justice of the Peace, Coroner and Constable files, 1891-1931, are precinct reports listing activities for each month. Some quarterly and annual reports are also included. Not all precincts are available for all years. Recorder's Office files, 1898-1932, include reports, correspondence and election files. Reports are quarterly and monthly. Correspondence is in one folder. Election files include proclamations, rolls of electors, expense statements of candidates, nomination papers, statehood election correspondence, petitions and canvass results.
Sheriff's Office records, 1897-1931, are reports, license reports, jailor reports and reports of prisoner meals. Most reports are monthly. Quarterly jailor reports list all prisoners in the jail. Superintendent of School files, 1898-1932, include reports and school files which document the boundaries and activities of the county's school districts.
Superior Court files, 1870-1931, include monthly Clerk of the Court reports, jury lists and warrants. Jury lists and warrants include jury fees, lists and reports. County Surveyor and Public Roads, 1881-1955, contains reports on roads, including petitions, cost estimates, reports, specifications, blueprints and design memoranda for the design and construction of the Painted Rock Reservoir. Treasurer's Office records, 1875-1943, include Treasurers' reports, Examiners' reports, tax deeds and warrants and accounts. Original instruments, 1864-1949, include butchers bonds, marks and brands, water location notices, liens, contracts, wills, appointments, mining claims, survey field notes, deeds, homesteads, mortgages, reports of birth and death, marriage certificates, pension vouchers and applications for leasing school lands.

Cashbooks and journals. 1879-1955. 9.6 c.f. (32 volumes).
Volumes include general cash accounts and Tax Collectors' accounts for taxes and back taxes.

Warrants. 1875-1964. 8.7 c.f. (29 volumes).
Warrants are for bonds, expense and road district funds, general fund, North Valley Irrigation District, Mohawk and Yuma Mesa Irrigation District, Gila Valley Power District, Araby Yuma Mesa Irrigation District, Antelope Valley Irrigation District, Yuma Irrigation District, Centennial Irrigation District and Yuma and Gila Districts.

Claims. 1905-1964. 2.1 c.f. (7 volumes).
The volume lists hospital claims.

Tax sales certificates and records. 1883-1937. 1.5 c.f. (5 volumes)

Delinquent tax books. 1895-1965. 1.5 c.f. (5 volumes).
The volumes list delinquent taxpayers for 1932 and real property, 1960-1965.

Partial payments. 1933-1944. Fraction c.f. (1 volume).
This volume lists people who paid their taxes using installment payments.

Back tax books. 1889-1928. 3.0 c.f. (10 volumes).
These volumes list residents owing back taxes and are indexed.

School district fund index. 1901-1903. Fraction c.f. (1 volume).
This volume is a Tax Collector's index for school district funds.

Certificates of purchase for school land. 1918-1946. Fraction c.f. (3 volumes).
These volumes list purchases of school land and are indexed.

Abstract of school lands. 1898-1901. Fraction c.f. (1 volume).

School district register. 1922-1925. Fraction c.f. (1 volume).

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