The Delta independent., 1907-02-01
Grand River OF "CoIorado."

!
Senator Edward T. Taylor to change
| the name of the Grand river in thlS
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 az
Grand Junction.
There has been considerable ob)ec-
| ton to the change on the part Oh
| Grand Junction PEOPLE, that city be-
| ing located on the Grand river. Inc
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 loo
| miles beyond our western border, anu
runs thence to the Gulf OF Callforhla'
| and is in many respects the most pie-
turesque and sublime river on this con
tinent. / 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 OF
them were given the name OF the main
stream never could learn. But 1t was
! doubtless through lack OF Seographi'
! cal knowledge | have read that In the
old maps the Grand was called the Coi.
! orado, but | have never Verihed tha'
! statement.
The Colorado river was discovered
| by some Spanish explorers In io1o,
| 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
Rio Colorado. signifying the red water
river from the reddish appearance oi
! its waters. below the red sandstone
/ hills and iron stained bluns through
which II runs the greater part oil over
1900 miles The river was known as
| the real Colorado Of the West iot
nearly three centuries
| The act OF Congress passed febru,
airy 2, 1861. creating the territory oi
! Colorado, took the nam" IRON th'
river Like the Missouri and the MIS-
/ sissippi rivers. the Green river 10TH
is twice as long as the Grand. yet the
| grand flows more water. Is IN rcallty
/ the main stream OF the Colorado river
| II is the largest and noblcst river IN
| the state. and II has a right TO and
| should bear the name OF Colorado from
/ Its source on the Continental divide
to the Pacific ocean. over 600 miles.
81 feel that as n matter OF state
, pride we should make this chang"
The river should come from the state
that bears It's name.
Besides we have a Grandc river
/ tn" Rio Grande-in the southern part
4 Of the state. and Grand county and
a Grand lake and n 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
. t,f, 10
I citizens and means n world OF posi-
bili;ics to all the inhabitants OF the
earth. and will have a far greater lus
| ter in the years to come.
II am fully mindful OF the fact that
| your prosperous and rapidly growing
I city. OF which all Colorado IL 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 sec where on~
dollar OF that investment can be lost
on the contrary. the name Of Colorado
/ liz n household word throughout the
| civilized world. and | confidently be
| licvc that We people In tho Grand river
valley can with ten per cent OF the
| advertising make the Colorado valley
n hundred times better known and
more desirable for homes and invest
| mcnts than We ever can the Grand
valley by all the advertising We can
do during the next nifty years Bc
cause every intelligent person knows
/ how easy II iB to advertise by "A we'll.
known and popular word
Tho Colorado valley, trayorScd by
this magnificent state stream from
! Glcnwood to tho state line. would In
few years with It's power manufnc-
/ turing. fruit and many other pOssibii.
| tiles. become famous all over the globe
| as tn" richest most beautiful and
| dcnsely populated valley In the Rocky
| Mountain region. | believe the entire
| Grand river watershed would be won.
dcrfully benefited financially by the
! change. while ! am confident the on.
tire state will heartily approve the
measure M matter OF state pride
and scntimcn, II the subject is prop
orly placed before the people by the
press OF this state.
Il have. without consultation with
anyone. introduced this bill on my own
responsibility to call the attention of
the public to. and to obtain an cxprcs
sion OF opinion on this subject. II
Mesa. Garfield and Eagle counties
disapprove OF the measure. | shall
promptly drop the matter. n they an
p'o'' VI 'h' 'h"uE', ! snall vigorously
endcavor to pass the bill: and viii
then mcmorializc the Legislature of
Utah to likewise change the name of
that part OF the river in that state.
and am confident Utah will promp,Iy
and gladly do 30 ns an act OF courtesy
to Colorado.
the stream not being naviyable
assume mat nm act OF Congress- ia NOT
necessary to cfTectuatc the chance
But II It Il. l will also take up the mat.
ter with our congressman.