Cheyenne Wells record. (Cheyenne Wells, Cheyenne County, Colo.) 1???-1969, 1921-10-06

An interesting feature Of the discussion of the
joint resolution was the bringing out of the his
tory Of the Colorado river and the early American
Southwest In concise and accurate form. This
was set forth In a report furnished by George
Otis Smith. director of the geological survey on
the history of the naming of the Colorado. Grand
and Green rivers and of the state Of Colorado.
This report explains how the Colorado came to
bear less than nine names between 1910 and
1776. 1t also forth how the Green river came
to be known the "Ghost river" to geographers.
Among the facts brOugh, out are these:
1t the Coronado expedition Of 154O-42. sent
out by Viccroy Mendoza, that first explored the
pueblo country of New Mexico and Arizona md
the Great Plains far northeast central Kan
sas and discovered the Colorado river and the
Grand canyon. AlarcOn discovered the Colorado
at Its mouth and gave 1t the of Rio de
Buena Guia (gOOd guide) because that was Men.
dOza's device" Dlaz. travelling along the river,
saw the Indians carrying burning brands with
which to warm themselves; SO he named II Rio
del Tiz"n (frebrand). Cardenas discovered the
Colorado ut the Grand canyon, but for
refrained from naming II, probably because
nfterwurd it was identified with the Rio del
TIzon So the Coronado expedition gave the Colo.
RADIO Its two first names.
The Coronado expedition was disappointing and
1t WIS not until 1881 that expedition under
Rodriguez revisited tine region. This revived n.
terest In the conGusring and settling nt New
Mexico
The contract for the conquest and settlement
was finally awarded In 1895 to Juan de Onate
who was made governor, adeantado and captain
general of the province of New Mexico. In 1885,
Onate reached the Santa Fe region with an army
ard a colony of 400 men. Of whom 100 had their
families Onate ruled New Mexico until 1905
I,y 1905 he and his subOrdinates had reexplored
practically all the ground covered by Coronado
and opened new trails. In 1904 he made a jour
ney from San Gabriel, his headquarters near Santa
Fe to the head Of the Gulf of California. He
went by way of Zuni. Moqu and Williams river
to the Colorado and down the east bank OF that
river to the gulf. Crossing the Colorado ChiquitU.
or little Colorado 40 leagues southwest of Mogui
he named 1t "Rio Colorado because the
water Is nearly red" Be 1t noted that the name
"Colorado" Is here given for the first time not to
the Colorado river but to one of its branches the
Little Colorado. To the Colorado ITSELF Onate
give the name "Rio Grande de Blena Esperanza"
(good hope)
At some indefinite time during the next hundred
years the name Colorado was transferred from
the Little Colorado to the main river an, before
the end Of the century had been pretty well estab.
lished. Father Kino. the great Pinan apostle
16S3-1711, uses the name freely he does the
alternative name Rio del Norte; and he even be.
slows upon it new name, Rio de los Apostoes
revolt of the Pueblo Indians In 1850 resulted
in the entire evacuation of New Mexico by the
Spaniards until Its recOnQuest by Vergas In 1892
o. when most of the missions were reestnbIished
also. San Diego. the first Of the California mis.
sions, was established In 1899; and In the next
30 years II others had been established. dotting
the coast from San Diego to San Francisco bay.
Father SIlvestre Velez de EscaIante. then sta.
toned at the Zuni mission, spent eight days at
Moqu in June 1875, trying to discover whether
there was an Indian trail the Grand canyon.
He failed to extract any Information from the
Indians and concluded that the canyon i'm
passable. In n letter the subject written to
Father Garces August IS, 1775 he called the river
or the canyon Rio Grnnde de los Cosninos. The
Cosnina (Iavasupn) Indians were settled on
rat MT 1'bp npyt I'm
self Travelled from M0have to Monui. and went