The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1921-10-29

into the Grand canyon at the bend below the Lit
tie Colorado on June 26. He named the canyon
Puerto de Bucareli (Bucarelis pass) in honor OF
the then viceroy.
Grand river, both above and below its Junction
with Gunnison river. named Rio San Rafael
by Fathers Dominiguez and Escalante in 1916 To
the south branch. the present Gunnison river they
gave the name Rio San Javer (Xavier) and re-
ported the Ute Indian name TOmichi. In this
area Pixies MAPS 1S05O7, like other early maps.
are difficult to interpret. His "Rio de los Armas"
Oas Animas) Is much more like Grand river than
his "Rio San Rafael" In 1S43 Fremont lettered
it Grand river as did Captain Stansbury in 1S49
But for long years the maps showed great d.
versity Of nomenclature Below its junction with
the Gunnison, this river was usually called Grand
river, rarely Rio Colorado or Grand and even
Colorado Above the junction 1t was called Grand
Bunkara Blue and North Fork Of Grand river. Cum
nison river was named variousy Eagle Eagle Tail,
South Fork of Grand, Grande and Grand river.
In after years Captain Gunnison's name became
gradually fixed on the branch which he explored,
and the name Grand on the north or main branch
while the name Blue river now describes small
south branch Of the latter In Summit county.
Colorado
Green river was called Rio de San Buenaven-
tura by Dominiguez and Escalante In 1776, and
Escalante says (Diario Sept. Il. 1776), that It
was so named in 1868 by FIR. Alfonso de Posada.
Thinking that 1t flowed to the west. the map MAX
ers represented it crossing the Great basin ard
flowing into the Pacific ocean. Thus it was That
the River Buenaventura became the famous ghost
river" which for years haunted the maps of the far
West Pike 1SO5O7, mapped it with headwaters
in the position of upper Green river, having an
afTluent Rio de San Clemente (Escalantes name
for White river an east branch of the Green riv-
err, and flowing southwest into Sewer lake (name-
less) Before 1911 however, upper Green river
was known to be connected with the Colorado.
The Astorians called 1t both Spanish river and
Colorado river. 1t was called Rio Colorado bv
Jedediah S. Smith In 1924 and Rio Colorado OF
the West by William H Ashley in 1925. Bonnie
Vile 1897 lettered 1t Colorado of the West his
map Of the territory west of the Rocky Mountains.
The name Green river dates at Least far
back as 1924. Dale refers to a news item In the
Missouri Intelligencer. June %, 1925, OF a party
leaving Santa Cruz in November. 1924 to trap on
"Green river" Fremont says that the Spanards.
contrasting "its timbered shores and green wooded
islands with It's dry sandy plains named 1t Rio
Verde (Green river) Bancroft speaks of an en-
plovee of Ashley's, .Mr. Green who gave his name
To Green river: and Chittenden advances. the
theory that the name may have been suggested
by the color of the water.
The oct of congress providing for the organiza-
tion OF the territory of Colorado was approved
February g. 1861. As introduced and as passed
nv the house. the bill named the proposed new
Z
ing been selected from many names proposed. In
the senate on motion of Senator Wilson of Mas
sachusetts the name Of the territory was amended
nv striking out "IdahO" and inserting Colorado"
This was done at the suggestion Of Delegate WI.
liams for the that the Colorado river arose
In its mountains hence there was peculiar 1T
ness in the name Bancroft, however. says that
.sThe name Colorado was given to it Mt the sug
gestion Of the man (Will'am Gilpin) selected 70:
its first governor !: and he quotes from manu-
script Of Gilpin's as follows: "SoMe wanted II
called Jefferson. some Arcadia. said the people
have to great extent named the states after thu
great rivers Of the country, and the great feature
of that country is the great Colorado river. .Ah.
said he (sviison Of Massachusetts,. that ID IT,
and he named It Colorado"