Miscellaneous Maps, 1915-2025

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Summary

Title:
San Diego County Recorder/County Clerk Miscellaneous Maps
Dates:
1915-2025
Creators:
San Diego County (Calif.). Office of the Recorder/County Clerk
Abstract:
The Miscellaneous Maps collection consists of 1,967 sheets of maps which include maps that do not fall under any of the other filed map types. Most of the maps in this category are cemetery maps. Cemetery maps delineate sections, blocks, and plots of a cemetery – or sections, halls, and rooms of a mausoleum. Prepared by land surveyors and civil engineers and received for filing by the Recorder/County Clerk, these maps date from 1915 to the present.
Extent:
90.94 cubic feet (1,967 map sheets)
Language:
Preferred citation:

San Diego County Recorder/County Clerk Miscellaneous Maps. San Diego County Archives, Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, Santee, CA.

Background

Scope and content:

The Miscellaneous Maps collection consists of 1,967 sheets of maps which include maps that do not fall under any of the other filed map types. Most of the maps in this category are cemetery maps. Cemetery maps delineate sections, blocks, and plots of a cemetery – or sections, halls, and rooms of a mausoleum. Prepared by land surveyors and civil engineers and received for filing by the Recorder/County Clerk, these maps date from 1915 to the present. Miscellaneous Maps are prepared by or under the direction of land surveyors or civil engineers and are received for filing by the Recorder/County Clerk. Cemetery maps depict the internal organization of burial grounds or mausoleums and may include plot or space numbers, circulation routes, boundaries of sections or blocks, references to other recorded documents, and related survey and legal information. Maps of other subjects vary in content but generally document layouts, spatial divisions, or configurations of land or structures. The materials are graphical and textual in nature, consisting of diagrams and accompanying text that describe divisions within cemeteries, mausoleums, or other mapped sites. Miscellaneous Maps are filed with the County Recorder to provide a permanent public record of layouts or divisions of land or structures accepted for recording when no other established map type applied. Filed Miscellaneous Maps are official records, defined by California Government Code section 27300 as a “permanent archival record of all instruments, papers, and notices as accepted for recording by a county recorder,” and are original documents. Although some land division regulation existed in California as early as 1893, comprehensive land development regulations were established through the codification of the Subdivision Map Act in 1974. Miscellaneous Maps filed prior to this period may not reflect later standardization of recording requirements or include elements commonly associated with subsequent recording practices. The 1974 Subdivision Map Act established the legal framework for modern mapping requirements and local control over land division in California; however, Miscellaneous Maps generally document spatial arrangements or internal divisions that do not constitute legal subdivision of land under that framework. To be identified and accepted for filing as a Miscellaneous Map, the County Recorder examines the map to confirm that it meets applicable statutory and recording requirements. Miscellaneous Maps are filed as original documents and include required diagrams, certifications, and Recorder endorsements associated with the recording process. Each Miscellaneous Map includes information appropriate to its subject matter and purpose. Cemetery and mausoleum maps typically include delineations of sections, blocks, plots, crypts, or niches, along with identifying labels or numbering systems. Cemetery maps must include a Declaration of Dedication. Maps of other subjects may include boundaries, bearings, distances, easements, or references to related recorded documents, as applicable. Page identification and Recorder certification information are present in accordance with recording practices. Following verification of recording requirements, the County Recorder’s certificate is completed as part of the filing process. Recorder certification information, including the recording date, recording reference number, and deputy information, is added at the time of filing. Each Miscellaneous Map is assigned a sequential map number, which appears on every page of the map. The Miscellaneous Maps are indexed and searchable by map number, which serves as the primary means of access to the collection. Maps are not indexed by address; identifying relevant map numbers typically requires prior research using related County land records. Pursuant to California Government Code section 66466(e), the Recorder/County Clerk is required to maintain every original filed Miscellaneous Map for safekeeping in a reproducible condition. In addition to original maps, copies are sometimes present in the collection. An original map is one that bears a wet signature within the Recorder’s certificate, whereas a copy is characterized by the absence of a wet signature in the Recorder’s certificate. In some instances, more than one original map or more than one copy exists for a given map number. When multiple versions of a map are present, including one or more originals and/or copies, the version of each map is identified in the finding aid. In several instances in the collection, information recorded in the Recorder’s certificate appears to be incorrect on the map. Examples include Recorder’s certificates that are incomplete, or file numbers that are entirely missing or missing leading digits. In all cases, Recorder’s certificate information is transcribed in the finding aid exactly as it appears on the map. When additional or differing information is available in the Recorder/County Clerk’s recording system, that information is also noted in the finding aid. In several instances, a map’s sheets are not numbered consecutively or utilize more than one numbering system. In other cases, one or more sheets associated with a map are absent; available evidence does not indicate whether the absence reflects the original filing or a later loss. Dates associated with the collection reflect the filing dates of the Miscellaneous Maps and may not correspond to the date of initial land ownership or development. Later annotations or revisions may postdate the original filing. There are instances in which a map number appears to have been skipped in the sequential numbering system. In all such cases, a note provided by Recorder/County Clerk staff explains the apparent gap in numbering. Maps are arranged in the order in which they were filed, corresponding to sequential Miscellaneous Map Number order beginning with Miscellaneous Map Number 1. This order is chronological. When multiple versions are present for a given map number, each version is identified at the item level.

Biographical / historical:

The San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk (ARCC) department consists of three divisions, the Administration Division, the Assessor Division, and the Recorder/County Clerk Division. The department is the result of the combination of three distinct county offices: the San Diego County Assessor (established 1849), County Recorder (established 1850), and County Clerk, (established 1849). The responsibilities of the Assessor's office are rooted in the Constitution of the State of California (1849). Section 13 of Article XI notes that “assessors and collectors of town, County, and State taxes, shall be elected by the qualified electors… in which the property taxed… is situated.” Chapter 43 of the statutes of the 1850 California legislature (California Stats. 1850, Ch. 43) passed “An Act concerning the office of the County Assessor,” which addressed several administrative points, among them term of office, appointment of deputies, compensation, and other administrative provisions. Further clarification regarding the duties of the County Assessor were provided in California Stats. 1852, Ch. 3 which mandates the location, identification, and valuation of all vacant land, improved real estate, and business property. This was later expanded to include certain manufactured homes, boats, and aircraft. Additionally, the Assessor's office maintains comprehensive records on all taxable properties within the boundaries of the San Diego County, including the maintenance of maps of all real property parcels. Similarly, California Stat. 1850, Ch. 58, “An Act establishing Recorders’ Offices, and defining the Duties of the Recorder and County Auditor,” was passed on April 4, 1850. The California state legislature implemented a recording system to document and preserve evidence of title to, or interest in, land. The County Recorder was tasked with the permanent recording and preservation of Official Records, defined in California Government Code section 27300 as “… permanent archival record of all instruments, papers, and notices as accepted for recording by a county recorder.” Over time, the responsibilities of the recorder evolved, adapting to changing needs and merging with the duties of other related officials. For example, in 1872, the County Recorder was designated the local registrar for birth, death, and marriage records. In July 1905 a state agency, currently the California Department of Public Heath – Vital Records unit, became the primary record holder of birth, death, and marriage records. The primary purpose of the recording system was to provide a public record of property ownership within the county and to document transfers or encumbrances affecting properties. Certain transactions in personal property were also included in the public record. This system allowed individuals intending to purchase land, the opportunity to determine the ownership and condition of a property's title in a public setting. The adopted system was based on practices in many Eastern states in 1850, which involved indexing the names of parties involved in land transactions to one volume while copying the actual document text into separate volumes. Distinct sets of indexes and volumes were allocated for each type of document, as defined by California Government Code sections 27232 through 27254. However, in 1921 the legislature authorized the use of a combined General Index for all types of documents. Section 7 of Article VI of the Constitution of the State of California (1849) established the office of the County Clerk while California Stats. 1850, Ch. 110 defined the duties of the office. The County Clerk served as the ex officio clerk of the court of sessions and probate court, attending each session of the county courts for which they held responsibility, they issued all writs, entered orders, judgments, and decrees, maintained dockets for all courts, and managed and disposed of records in accordance with the law. Additionally, the County Clerk administered oaths and accepted bonds for public officials. For a brief period beginning in 1866 with the Registry Act (California Stats. 1866, Ch. 265), the County Clerk was also responsible for recording a list of every eligible voter in the county. In 1990, an amendment to the San Diego County Charter was proposed with the intent of consolidating the responsibilities of the County Clerk and County Recorder into a single entity. A special election was called, and this merger was subsequently approved by the voters, leading to its implementation in 1991. A further amendment was proposed in 1993, aiming to consolidate the Recorder/County Clerk with the Assessor. This amendment was also approved by the voters, resulting in the establishment of the Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk under the leadership of a single elected official in 1995. Today, the County Clerk in San Diego County continues to perform essential functions as defined in California Government Code sections 26801 through 26810, including the acceptance of filings for fictitious business names and notary public oaths and bonds, the issuance of marriage licenses, and conducting civil marriage ceremonies. Note that the original geographic boundaries of San Diego County included territory in present-day Imperial (formed 1907), Riverside (formed 1893), Inyo (formed 1866, expanded 1872), and San Bernardino (formed 1853) Counties.

Acquisition information:
Transferred by San Diego County Recorder/County Clerk on an on-going basis beginning in 2020. Further accruals are expected.
Processing information:

Maps are arranged in the order in which they were filed by the Recorder/County Clerk, which is map number order. Miscellaneous Maps filed before September 2020 were usually stored in books when they were initially filed. Some oversized Miscellaneous Maps were folded to fit into these books; others were rolled and stored in large rectangular boxes. During processing, these maps were removed from their original storage containers. Miscellaneous Maps filed from September 2020 through the present are stored loose prior to being transported to the Archives. During processing, all Miscellaneous Maps were rehoused in archival folders with archival interleaving paper between each map sheet. These folders were then stored in flat file drawers. Maps too large to fit into a flat file drawer were rehoused onto archival tubes with archival interleaving paper between each map sheet.

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Collection processed by Kiera Sullivan, Archivist, 2021-2025, with assistance from Student Workers Joy Metcalfe and Valerie Whitcomb. Finding aid written by Kiera Sullivan, Archivist, 2026.
Date Prepared:
1915-2025
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using Record Express for OAC5 on July 14, 2025, 2:55 p.m.

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research use. Please contact the San Diego County Archives staff at archives@sdcounty.ca.gov for access information.

Terms of access:

All requests for copies must be routed through the Recorder/County Clerk’s office. Please send inquiries to ARCCRecorderCountyClerk.FGG@sdcounty.ca.gov. Copyright restrictions may apply.

Preferred citation:

San Diego County Recorder/County Clerk Miscellaneous Maps. San Diego County Archives, Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, Santee, CA.

Location of this collection:
10144 Mission Gorge Road
Santee, CA 92071, US
Contact:
(619) 237-0502
archives@sdcounty.ca.gov
Website