Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-08-16
Historical Ground.
Buckeye Blade.

Three hundred and fifty years ago last May, the first white man, or European, trod the soil of Buckeye. The person was none other than the famous, Bavaier Vasquez de Coronado, whose achieve ments as a traveller and explorer, east the renowned Stanley in the shade in the spring of l5l0, Nasquez de Coronado at thc head of an exploring expedition, penetrated tie center of Mexico. After gaining some information from the In dians respecting the rnned cities of the Ciila, and the prosperous Seven Cities Of the Bull which were described in glow ing terms as existing still farther North, Coronado decided to lead his expedition in that direction, thinking that boundiess treasures awaited him, and in the month of April, l jt0 with 1000 men, most In dians. commenced his weary march through the northern States of Mexico, into what is now Arizona Tucson was visited and found to be an Indian town some pretensiOns Tine Pima villages were visited, the ruined city around Casa Grande explored, showing no traces of the precious metals. The march of the Seven Cities of the North was dgaIn re- sumed, the course being along the Glla river, through what Is now known as the Buckeye country, up the Hassayampa and crossed the Mogollon mountains. Ihe Little Colorado riv6fa was visited aud the Seven Cities" were finally reached which proved 10 be the pueblos of the Moqui Indians.
 Castaneda, the historian cf the cXpc- dition. in giving description of the ruined city that surrounds Casa Grande, says of that famous building which still remains monument to the greatness of a people who once cultivated this valley:
 One of them Is large edifice the principal room in the center being four stories high and those adjoining 1t on four sides, with walls two varas thick (about five feet six Ihchesl of strong ado be material, so smooth on tie inside is to resemble planed boards and 50 polish ed that they shine like pueblo pottery The same author describes the Hassay ampa ill glowing terms, as carrying gold in its sands in large quantities.
 From the above extracts the first ever written of Arizona. our readers can see at glance what an historical place we live in. That the Spaniards visited this valley. following the standard of the Cross, twenty five years before the found- ing of St Augustine Florida; sixty seven
 
 at Jamestown, Virginia, and eighty years before the landing of the Puritans at Plymouth Rock. The story of the Cross was told the Indians residing in these valleys, and in the evening at the setting of tine sun, all were compelled, on pended knees, to join Tn evening prayer, the Ro- sariO. Ihtany or other religious service Of the day. That such prayers and sup plieations of a devOut character were offered on our soil to the Most High, we have the best of proof, as we look South east and behold the Santa Estrella noun tains (lloly Star mountainsl By a poet ical fancy of that age, the evening star was ikened to the Blessed Virgin and paTtOoil of sacredness for its watchiul care ever the destinies of the mariner of the deep. Ii was customary for sailors in the time of Columbus, when at the close of day, just a5 the evening star began to throw her luster, to join in their evening prayers and with upturned eye= ! to the evening star to recite their dcvo- 1 ton.
 1 It was somewhere near the dIassay ampa that Coronado struck camp and all l joined Tn religious service at the close of the day, and as they raised 1 their eyes in supplicatiOn, they found the { same Holy Star that watched over them | in crossing tie deep, looking down ol | them as 1t shone above the mountains | peaks to the Southeast, which they named | Santa Estrella. and thus left monu ment 10 us and future generations, o their labors, full of poetic fancy and piou l intentions.