Gilpin observer., 1907-01-24
Grand River Of "coIorado."

Grand River Of "CoIorado."
Persons interested in the effort OF
Senator Edward T. Taylor to change
the name Of the Grand river in this
state to the Colorado, by which name
it is known in Utah, will be interested
in the letter which he has written the
officers of the chamber of commerce at
Grand Junction.
There has been considerable objec-
tioh to the change on the part OF
Crane Junction people, that city be.
ing located on the Grand river. The
following is part of the explanatory let
ter of Senator Taylor:
"As every one knows. the Colorado
river is formed by the junction of the
Grand and Green rivers, about 100
miles beyond our western border, and
runs thence to the Gulf Of California;
and is in many respects the most pic.
turesque and sublime river on this con-
tinent. l do not know how or when
the Grand or Green rivers got their
names. But they are Of comparatively
very recent origin; and why neither Oh
them were given the name OF the main
stream never could learn. But 1t was
doubtless through lack of geographt.
cal knOWleuSe. 1 nave Iedu tHot III tho
old maps the Grand was called the Col.
orado, but l have never verified that
statement.
1.-THE Colorado river was discovered
by some Spanish explorers in 154O.
The word Colorado, as our school
books say, was Spanish word mean
ing 'ruddy' or blood red The river
soon thereafter took the name OF the
nj eli In ha pad
river from the reddish appearance OF
it's waters, below the red sandstone
hills and iron stained bluffs through
which 1t runs the greater part OF over
1,20O miles. The river was known as
the real Colorado of the West for
nearly three centuries.
"The act Of Congress passed Febru.
ary 2, 1861, creating the territory oi
Colorado, took the name from the
river Like the Missouri and the Mis-
sissippi rivers, the Green river fork
is twice as long as the Grand, yet the
grand flows more water, Is In reality
the main stream of the Colorado river.
1t is the largest and noblest river In
the state, and it has right to and
should bear the name of Colorado from
its source on the Continental divide
to the Pacific ocean, over l,6OO miles.
II feel that as a matter of state
pride we should make this change.
The river should come from the state
that bears its name.
Besides. we have a Grande river
the Rio Grande-in the southern part
of the state; and n Grand county and
a Grand lake and a Grand canon, and
grand mountains and grand scenery,
and even Grand valley; and everything
In Colorado is grand, until the work
grand has no special significance or
meaning whatever. While the word
Colorado stands for everything to it's
citizens and means world of possi.
bilities to all the inhabitants OF the
earth. and viii have a far greater lus-
ter in the years to come.
II am fully mindful OF the fact that
your prosperous and rapidly growing
city, Of which all Colorado is proud,
has spent many years and thousands
OF dollars in Advertising Grand juno
tion and the Grand river valley. and
you are known all over this country.
But all legal rights are protected in
this bill, and / cannot see where one
dollar Of that investment can be lost.
On the contrary, the name OF Colorado
Is a household word throughout the
civilized world, and confidently be-
lieve that we people in the Grand river
valley can with ten per cent. OF tho
advertising make the Colorado valley
a hundred times better known and
more desirable for homes and invest.
ments than we ever can the Grand
valley by all the advertising we can
do during the next fifty years. Be-
cause every intelligent person knows
how easy 1t is to advertise by we'll
known and popular word.
"The Colorado valley. traversed by
this magnificent state stream from
Glenwood to the state line, would in
n few years with Its power, manufac-
turing, fruit and many other possibil,
tiles, become famous all over the globe
as the richest, most beautiful and
densely populated valley in the Rocky
Mountain region. believe the entire
Grand river watershed would be won.
derfully benefited 2nancinlly by tho
change; while am confident the en-.
tire state will heartily approve tho
measure as matter OF state pride
and sentiment II the subject is prop.
erly placed before the people by the
press OF this state.
"The stream not being navigable. I
assume that an act of Congress Is not
necessary to effectuate the change.
But II 1t Is, will also take up the mat
ter with our congressman"