This collection contains correspondence and legal documents related to the case of Henry Burton, son of María Ampara Ruíz de Burton (1832-1895) and Mexican-War general Henry S. Burton (1819-1869), to confirm legal claim to land in Baja California, chiefly in the 1920s in both Washington, D.C., and Mexico City. Much of the collection reflects issues between Burton, the Los Angeles law firm of Spalding and Myers, and attorney Harry B. Lind. The legal documents are primarily about cases brought against Burton and Spalding and Myers by Lind for breach of contract.

Henry Burton was the son of General Henry S. Burton (1819-1869) who fought in the Mexican-American War and settled in San Diego, California, at the conclusion of the conflict. General Burton married a Mexican woman, María Ampara Ruíz (1832-1895) , who was the heir to two Spanish land grants—the Enseñada de Todos Santos and San Antonio de las Minas parcels in Baja California. The Spanish government granted the lands, totaling over 1,000,000 acres, to María Ampara Ruíz’s grandfather, Don José Manuel Ruíz, in 1804. Ruíz served as the military governor of Baja California. María Ampara Ruíz de Burton was a noted Mexican-American author and published two books about the Mexican experience in the United States after the Mexican- American War.

292 items in 2 boxes

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