Arizona and the Southwest at the University of Arizona Library Special Collections

- by Julie Carleton

feature article

Spaniards, Missions and Pimeria Alta


1. Bolton, Herbert Eugene. Anza’s California Expeditions. Berkeley, California: University of California Press, 1930.
Herbert Eugene Bolton is considered by many to be one of the greatest Western historians. Aside from being the head of University of California Berkeley’s History department, Bolton was also the director of the Bancroft Library from 1916 to 1940. This book is a compilation of the diaries of Captain Juan Baptista Anza’s 1778’s expedition from Sonora Mexico to California. Included are photographs and illustrations taken by Bolton and his colleagues for the book. This book is referenced in AE Database via the Streeter catalog.

2. Bolton, Herbert Eugene. Rim of Christendom; a Biography of Eusebio Francisco Kino, Pacific Coast Pioneer. New York: The Macmillan Company. 1936.
Another monumental and authoritative work by Bolton. This work is pivotal because Bolton was the first scholar to establish the term “Spanish borderlands” as a significant area of research in American history. The bibliography contains manuscripts and correspondence and maps from libraries in Spain, Mexico, Germany, as well as the Huntington Library.

3. Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, Alvar. La Relacion y Comentarios del Gouerna. Cordoua: Por Francisco Fernandez de Cordoua. 1555.
An early version of Cabeza de Vaca’s accounts of his travels from Florida to Mexico. Extremely rare.

4. Villagra, Gaspar Perez de. Historia de la Nueva Mexico. Alcala, L. Martinez Grande, a Costa de B. Lopez. 1610.
A narrative written poetic verse, portrays the Onate expedition in New Mexico. Extremely rare.

5. Kino, Eusebio Francisco. Kino's Historical memoir of Pimería Alta : A Contemporary Account Of The Beginnings Of California, Sonora, And Arizona. Edited and annotated by Herbert Eugene Bolton. Cleveland: The Arthur H. Clark Company. 1919.
Original manuscripts were held in the Mexican archives. Bolton translated the Jesuit Padre’s writings on his missionary expedition into the Southwest. This book is referenced in AE Database via the Maggs catalog.

6. Kino, Eusebio Francisco. Report Of An Exploration, Written At Mission Dolores, Pimeria Alta, 1699.
Also known as the Kino Diary, this is a handwritten report of an expedition made by Kino and Fr. Antonio Leal into southwestern Arizona in 1699. It includes a detailed description of the geography, native peoples and missions of the region. One of a kind; unique.