California Land Grant collection

This resource contains 14 legal and court documents dating from 1828-1869 and related to land grant cases argued by the prominent San Francisco firm Halleck, Peachy and Billings.

Halleck, Peachy and Billings was one of the leading early law firms in San Francisco, California and specialized in land cases. The firm was organized by Frederick H. Billings and Archibald Carey Peachy in 1849, who were joined soon after by Henry Wager Halleck. Halleck, Peachy and Billings was employed by claimants in the settlement of titles to Mexican land grants. The firm handled more than half of the land claim cases in California immediately following the enaction of the Land Act of 1851. Although Halleck wrote the land title report that helped draft the Land Act of 1851, he did not support the Land Commission, and the firm of Halleck, Peachy and Billings defended many land titles against the Commission. It has been said that Halleck handled the preparation of the briefs for the cases, Peachy the oratory, and that Billings brought in the business. In 1853 Halleck built the Montgomery Block in San Francisco, and the partnership became permanently located there. The firm dissolved in 1861 after Halleck returned to military life and left California. "https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Halleck,%20Peachy%20%26%20Billings&item_type=topic"