16. A Forger’s Path to the American West
The “discovered” documents that cleared the titles of James Reavis’ clients had simply been forged by him, of course. Then in 1871, a prospector named George Willing sought Reavis’ help with a large Spanish land grant – 2000 square miles, about the size of Delaware – in the Arizona Territory. Reavis partnered up with Willing in a plan to develop the grant. In 1874, the duo decided to head to Arizona and make it happen. Willing got there first, filed a claim in the Yavapai County courthouse, and was found dead the next day. Foul play was suspected.
Reavis had made it to California by then and was there that he received news of his partner’s death. Low on funds, he got a job as a journalist, and in the course of his new occupation, he came in contact with some railroad magnates. He also came into contact with the Public Lands Commission – an entity established per the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo. Its mission was to determine the validity of Mexican and Spanish land grants in the territories won by America in the US-Mexico War. The Commission was corrupt to a fare-thee-well – something that suited Reavis quite well.
