The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-12-20
Seven Ruined Cities-Remains Of .
Mighty Nation.


A letter from Arizona says; "t'The
country bordering on the Green and
Colorado rivers for several hundred
miles is in many places strewn with
broken pottery Of beautiful work
lmanship, while the canon walls are
decorated with hieroglyphics and
picture writing, the meaning Of which
is unknown to the Indians now in
|hablting that region. Upon the
most inaccessible cliffs, down in the
gloomiest chasms, are found remains
of houses that had once been three
and four stories high.
All these signs of a once powerful
and civilized people are plainly trace
able to the seven Aztec cities Of Ar
izona. That the inhabitants of this
region are defendants of the ancient
Mexicsns there can be no doubt
Their ancestors line OF march to the
north and west is still marked by the
remains Of cities abandoned many
generations ago. From Indian ira
dition and the meagre history avail.
able the population theory is that
during the Spanish conquest great
bodies of the Astees were driven
from Mexico into the vast deserts
lying to the north and west, and then
across the Colorado. Here q mighty
nation dWelt for many years, build
ing cities and cultivating the soil.
As they were Industrious and peace
loving, they we're soon attacked by
the warlike nomadic tribes of the
north, and were compelled, the bet
ter to secure themselves against at
tack, to build their houses on the
mountains, within the canon walls
and in chasms that would seem al
most inaccessible. Many stories are
told how the poor Aztees were sur
rounded by an overpoEering enemy
and starved to death in their strong
hold. After many years Of war it Is
said treaty was entered into be-
tween them and the Utes, whereby
the latter we're to retain the north
ern side Of the river, and the Antees
were to recross and forever remain
in the southern country. The name
by which the cities are now most
widely known, the Moquis Pablos,
Originated, as near as I can find ont,
thus: There are seven towns con-
tanning about twelve hundred inhab-
itants. In approaching them from
the Colorado river, we first come to
0ryba; twelve miles further east we
find Shee-mo-po-wee. Shee-pa-la-wee
and Mee-chom-o-neah. Three miles
further east, across q beautiful vail
ey, are situated on a high cliff Mo.
qui, the Oldest and best fortified OF
all the towns, was many years ago
visited by the smallpox, which car
ried of nearly all the inhabi Its
After that they called the dead tow1
Pueblo Muerty, which has been cor
rupted into MOqui Bablo. By stran
gers the common name OF Moqu
Pablos is given to all the towns, bu-
here among them each town has it,
name, chief and government. Thes,
towns are fortifcations within them
selves, the houses are built of roeE
and mud, To enter them you as
cend a ladder which is on the outsId,
wall, to the top of the first story
the other floors are reached by ston,
steps Ehich are on the gable end o
each house. The towns are built in
the form ofs hollow square, with I
large court in the middle. In this
court are several houses under
ground which ere entered by trap,
doors from the top and the bottom
reached Oy ladders. They very
much resemble the old fashioned ice
house. These kevas, as they are
called. are used as a place Of work
ship, and also to work in.