José Yves Limantour, a French trader, first came to California in 1841. Governor Micheltorena, in return for services offered, gave Limantour various grants of land, including almost half of San Francisco. When Limantour presented his claims before the land commission, they were at first confirmed. Later, however, in 1858, the claims were rejected, being proven a forgery supported by false testimony.
These papers were acquired from various sources: purchased from Gelber Lilienthal, Oct. 1939, and from Valton, in 1940?, and some were formerly cataloged as fm F 862.1 C3. They include photocopies of some documents from the National Archives and from the Henry E. Huntington Library. The documents relate mainly to requests for land, and to the subsequent litigation. There are a few papers also concerning Limantour's efforts to supply the Mexican government with weapons from Europe. Also included are a few papers of his son, José Yves.
The papers have been arranged chronologically and the folders numbered consecutively. A partial list of correspondents follows.