The boundaries of the county of Socorro are as follows: on the south, drawing a direct line to the eastward from the Muerto spring in the Jornada in the direction of La Laguna, and continuing until it terminates with the boundary of the territory; drawing a direct line toward the west from said Muerto spring, crossing the Rio del Norte, and continuing in the same direction until it terminates with the boundary of the territory, shall be the southern boundary, and the northern boundary is the southern extremity of the county of Valencia.

History: Laws 1851-1852, p. 292; C.L. 1865, ch. 42, § 11; C.L. 1884, § 252; C.L. 1897, § 518; Code 1915, § 1111; C.S. 1929, § 33-2601; 1941 Comp., § 15-2601; 1953 Comp., § 15-28-1.

Compiler's notes. — Socorro county, as originally created, touched both the eastern and western boundaries of the territory. Lincoln county was created from the eastern part of Socorro county and Catron county from the western part.

Laws 1927, ch. 185, which attempted to abolish Catron county and divide its territory between Grant county and a new county to be called Rio Grande county, the latter to include also all of Socorro county, was held to violate N.M. Const., art. IV, § 24, since its purpose was to change county boundaries by special or local law, and not to create a new county, in State ex rel. Dow v. Graham, 33 N.M. 504, 270 P. 897 (1928).

Laws 1927, ch. 186 would have changed the name of Rio Grande county, created by Laws 1927, ch. 185, back to Socorro county, but since the latter was invalid, the former was of no effect.

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

The current boundaries of Socorro county may be described as follows: commencing at the southeast corner of township 9 south of range 9 west then east on the south line of township 9 south to the range line between ranges 5 and 6 east; thence north along said range line to the line between townships 7 and 8 south; thence east along said township line to the range line between ranges 8 and 9 east; thence north along said range line to the first parallel standard south; thence east along said standard parallel to the southeast corner of section 31 in township 5 south of range 10 east; thence north along the section lines to the New Mexico base line; thence west along said base line to the southeast corner of section 33 in township 1 north of range 5 east; thence north through the center of range 5 east to the southeast corner of Valencia county; thence south 82 degrees 39 minutes west 2 miles 544.6 feet to a point which bears north 38 degrees 27 minutes east 7768 feet from the southwest corner of section 6, township 2 north, range 5 east; thence north 63 degrees 17.5 minutes west 3 miles 1129.2 feet to a point on the centerline of the A.T. & S.F. railway bridge over Abo arroyo; thence north 71 degrees 20 minutes west 15 miles 5075.8 feet to a point described as being between the town of Jose Pino and the house of Jose Antonio Chavez on the east bank of the Rio Grande; thence northwesterly to the confluence of Alamito canyon with the Rio Puerco; thence due west on the section line 2 miles south of the first standard parallel north to the range line between ranges 8 and 9 west; thence south on said range line to the New Mexico base line; thence east on said base line to the northwest corner of township 1 south, range 8 west; thence south on the line between ranges 8 and 9 west to the first standard parallel south; thence east on said standard parallel to the northwest corner of township 6 south, range 8 west; thence south on the line between ranges 8 and 9 west to the point of beginning.

This section was incorporated in Article 21, Chapter 24 of the 1915 Code. It was not reenacted by its inclusion therein, but was compiled merely for convenience. See the 1915 Code, p. 1665.

Cross references. — For boundaries of Catron county, see 4-2-1 NMSA 1978.

For boundaries of Lincoln county, see 4-14-1 and 4-14-2 NMSA 1978.

For boundaries of Sierra county, see 4-27-1 and 4-27-2 NMSA 1978.

For original boundaries of Valencia county, see 4-32-1 NMSA 1978.