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Today in History: Court Deems Reavis Land Claim 'Fictitious and Fraudulent'

6/28/2025

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Summary

Story summary

On June 28, 1896, the U.S. Court of Private Land Claims declared James Reavis's extensive claim to 18,600 square miles of land in Arizona and New Mexico as "wholly fictitious and fraudulent." This ruling effectively ended Reavis's attempts to secure ownership based on the fraudulent Peralta land grant, protecting legitimate land rights in the region.

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Story summary

On June 28, 1896, the U.S. Court of Private Land Claims declared James Reavis's extensive claim to 18,600 square miles of land in Arizona and New Mexico as "wholly fictitious and fraudulent." This ruling effectively ended Reavis's attempts to secure ownership based on the fraudulent Peralta land grant, protecting legitimate land rights in the region.