The Holly chieftain., 1921-10-06

An interesting feature of the discussion Of the
joint resolution 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 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 no less than nine names between 1910 and
1916. 1t also sets forth how the Green river came
to be known as the "Ghost river" to geographers
Among the facts brought out are these
1t was the Coronado expedition of 154O-42, sent
out by Viceroy Mendoza, that first explored the
pueblo country of New Mexico and Arizona and
the Great Plains as far northeast as central Kan
sas and discovered the Colorado river and the
Grand canyon. Alarcon discovered the Colorado
at Its mouth and gave 1t the name of Rio de
Buena Gua (good guide) because that WAS Men
doza's device Diaz. travelling along the river,
saw the Indians carrying burning brands with
which to warm themselves: so he named 1t Rio
del Tizon (firebrnnd). Cardenas discovered the
Colorado at the Grand canyon but for some rea-
son refrained from naming 1t, probably because
soon afterward 1t 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
II was not until 1881 that an expedition under
Rodriguez revisited the region. This revived in
terest In the conquering and settling ut 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 1893
Onate reached the Santa Fe region with an army
and colony of 400 men, of whom 100 had their
fnmilies. Onate ruled New Mexico until 1905
BY 1905 he and his subordlnates had reexplored
practically all the ground covered by Coronado
and opened new trails. In 1904 he made 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 Chiquitn,
or little Colorado 40 leagues southwest Of MOlui
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
gave the name "Rio Grande de Buena Esperapza"
(gooG hope). l.., -.
At sOrne Indefinite time during the next hundred
years the name Colorado transferred from
the Little Colorado to the main river, and before
the end Of the century had been pretty well estab-
llshed Father Kino. the great Piman apostle
1883 S-17l1, uses the name freely, as he does the
alternative name Rio del Norte; and he even be-
slows upon II a new nane Rio de los Apostoles
revolt OF the Pueblo Indians In 1880 resulted
In the entire evacuation Of New Mexico by the
Spaniards until its reconquest by vergas In 1902.
"a. when most Of the missions were reestnblisbed
also San Diego the first of the California mis-
sions. was established In 1860; and In the next
30 years II others had been established dottjnp
the coast from San Diego to San Francisco bay
Father Sivestre velez de Escalante then sta.
toned at the Zuni mission. spent eight days at
Moqu in June, 1775 trying to discover whether
there was an Indian trail across the Grand canyon.
He failed to extract any information from the
Indians and concluded that the canyon was I'm
passable. In letter on the subject written to
Father Garces August 1S. 1875 he. called the river
or the canyon Rio Grande de los Cosninos The
Cosnina (Bavasupai Indians were settled on
Cataract creek. The next year i77G. Garces him.
SELF Travelled from Mohsye 70 MoauI. and went