All that part of the territory of New Mexico comprised within the following boundaries and limits, to wit: commencing at the Mule springs, in Mule pass, in Cook's canyon range, in the county of Grant, and running thence in a northwesterly direction along the summit of the Mimbres mountains to the north boundary line of Grant county; thence west on said north boundary line to the one hundred and eighth degree of longitude west of Greenwich; thence north on said degree of longitude to the point where the same intersects the north line of township line ten south, of New Mexico, being along the north line of [sic] township ten south, range eleven west of the [principal] meridian of New Mexico; thence east on said township line to the principal meridian of New Mexico; thence south on said principal meridian to the south line of township seventeen south, of the United States survey; thence west along said south line of said township number seventeen south, to the southwest corner of range four west, New Mexico principal meridian; thence south on the west line of said range line number four west of said principal meridian of New Mexico, to the southwest corner of township number nineteen south, of range four west, New Mexico; thence west along the south line of township number nineteen south, to the southwest corner of township nineteen south, range seven west, New Mexico principal meridian; thence west-northwest to the place of beginning on said south line to the boundary line of Grant county, shall form and constitute a new county, to be known as and called Sierra county: provided, that the property thus separated from the county of Socorro shall not be exempt from its share of taxation to pay the outstanding bonded indebtedness of Socorro county.

History: Laws 1884, ch. 109, § 1; C.L. 1884, § 321; C.L. 1897, § 559; Code 1915, § 1109; C.S. 1929, § 33-2501; 1941 Comp., § 15-2501; 1953 Comp., § 15-27-1.

Bracketed material. — The bracketed material was inserted by the compiler and is not part of the law.

Compiler's notes. — The words "township line ten south, of New Mexico, being along the north line of" preceding "[sic]" in this section are unnecessary for a correct reading of the description.

Sierra county was formed from parts of Grant, Dona Ana, and Socorro counties.

By special election held on March 7, 1950, certificate of which was filed with the county clerk of Sierra county on September 13, 1951, that portion of Socorro county lying south of the ninth township line south of the New Mexico base line and east of the New Mexico principal meridian was annexed to Sierra county.

The current boundaries of Sierra county may be described as follows: commencing at Mule springs in Mule pass in Cook's canyon range, and running thence in a northwesterly direction along the summit of the Sierra Mimbres, or black range, to the line between townships 12 and 13 south of the New Mexico base line; thence west along said township line to the 108th meridian west of Greenwich; thence north on said meridian to the north line of township 10 south, range 11 west of the principal meridian of New Mexico; thence east on said township line to the range line between ranges 5 and 6 east of the New Mexico principal meridian; thence south on said range line to the second standard parallel south; thence east on said standard parallel to the range line between ranges 6 and 7 east; thence south on said range line to the northeast corner of Dona Ana county [see compiler's notes under 4-7-1 NMSA 1978]; thence southwesterly along the former boundary between Socorro and Dona Ana counties [see 4-7-2 NMSA 1978] to the intersection of the New Mexico principal meridian with the third latitudinal section line south in township 17 south; thence south along the New Mexico principal meridian to the south line of township 17 south; thence west along said township line to the west line of range 4 west; thence south along said range line to the south line of township 19 south; thence west along the south line of township 19 south to the west line of range 7 west; thence northwest to the place of beginning.

Cross references. — For boundaries of Dona Ana county, see 4-7-1 to 4-7-3 NMSA 1978.

For boundaries of Grant county, see 4-9-1 and 4-9-2 NMSA 1978.

For original boundaries of Socorro county, see 4-28-1 NMSA 1978.