I live in one of their original railway depots in New Mexico. It is located within reservation borders.
We are trying verify that this plot of land is fee land (privately owned) and not trust land (allotment assigned by the tribe).
We know the land itself was acquired by the Railway, the depot constructed, and then sold to a great grandfather in 1913. The legal description of the property that we have includes the land itself, in coordinates.
It's up in the air when the land was purchased by the company, I've heard anywhere from 1870-1890. I have blueprints for the most recent iteration of the depot from 1902, presumably when it was fixed after partially burning down.
We don't have a deed for the purchase from the Railway, only colloquial letters requesting a check and confirming receipt.
I'm hoping to find, somehow, a document regarding the initial possession of the land by the Railway, in order to determine how ownership was transferred, and by whom.
I have no idea where to look for this and just need some tips on where to start.