Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1913-06-05
SCIENTISTS FIND
ANCIENT QU|vERA
Site Of Lost City on Loup River
In Nebraska.
WAS SOUGHT BY CORONADO
White Mon Were There In Search OF
Gold Eighty Years Before tho Pill
arim Fathers Landed In Now Eng
land-Vast Ruins viii Be Excavated
by Aroheologists This Summer.

Western archaeologists, headed by
DR.. Robert F. Glider of Omaha. have
at last succeeded in locating the exact
site Of the ancient city of Quivera, for
which Coronado and the old Spanish
conquerors searched so diligently and
fought so valiantly and during the
coming summer party OF archaeolo-
gists and scientists will make excava-
tons and explorations, which are ex-
pected to throw considerable light on
the people Of the kingdom whose To-
cation has been in doubt for 400 years
and more.
The ruins of the ancient city skirt
the Loup river in Nebraska for several
miles, and, according to those who have
visited them, the population at one
time must have been enormous.
While 1t has been known for a mum.
Der Of years that Quivera was some
where In Nebraska. the exact spot had
not been definitely settled.
Nebraska Is generally looked upon as
a country comparatively new to white
men. Nevertheless eighty years be-
fore the landing of the pilgrims on
Plymouth rock the fauna and fora of
Nebraska had been written about by
q white scientist, eighty-seven years
before Hendrick Hudson sailed up the
Hudson river party of white men
foated down the Platte; siXty-siX years
before the English settled In James
town and Captain John Smith found
undying fame white men and Indians
were on the best Of terms on the Ne
braska prairies.
Found Golden Corn.
These early white men went to Ne
braska seeking the city of Quivera,
where gold was supposed to be so plen-
tiful that it had no value. They found
yellow corn instead Of the yellow gold,
and they went back home in disgust.
But they left their footprints behind
them, and these have been traced back
to the very city to conquer which white
men marched more than 1000 miles,
enduring all manner Of hardships, and
then marched back again.
Twenty-Five years or so ago, near
Riverton, Neb.. farmer dug up an
ancient stirrup. 1t was so strange to
him that he sent it to the state mu
scum. There 1t was recognized as be-
ing the exact counterpart, both in
shape and material, Of those used for
| centuries by Moorish horsemen and
| Spanish knights Grant.
| 1t had been made on blacksmiths
anvil of iron or steel, and the blows OF
the hammer were yet visible.
Constant use had worn a small hole
through the center. 1t Is eleven inch
es long, four inches wide and weighs
one and three-quarter pounds.
The finding of the ancient Spanish
stirrup revived the old story Of the
early Spanish expedition to Nebraska
and so stirred the souls of Nebraska
psychologists that James w. Savage
made personal trip to Madrid for the
purpose of delving into the records In
the Spanish court archives concerning
the expedition of Coronado Castena-
da, Pensalosa and others to the king
dom of Quivera.
| How Place Was Found.
AS result Of years Of research Mr..
Savage gave the following summary
of his reasons for locating Quivera
just north Of the Platte river In Ne
braska
'Quivera was situated northeasterly
from Santa Fee 1t was distant from
the latter city 800 or 900 miles 1t was
north Of the fortieth parallel, the
southern boundary Of Nebraska. II
lay north Of a wide but fordable
stream"
In describing the city of Quivera the
Spaniard wrote: This was one Of the
cities Of Quivera. 1t contained thou
sands Of houses. mostly circular in
shape, some two three and even four
stories In height. framed Of hard
wood believed to be black walnut and
skillfully matched. 1t extended along
the river for more than two leagues,
at which distance third stream flow.
ed into the second Beyond this the