The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1921-10-07

An interesting feature Of the discussion Of the
joint resolution was the bringing out Of The his
tory ofethe Colorado river and the early American
Southwest In concise and accurate form. This
was set forth In q 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 1T the state Of Colorado.
This report explains how the Colorado came to
bear no less than nine names between 1910 and
1776. It also sets forth how the Green river came
to be known as the 'Ghost river" to geographers.
Among the facts brougI, out are these:
1t was the C0rnnado expedition of 154O-42. sent
out by vicerOy Mendoza, that first explored the
pueblo country Of New Mexico and Arizona and
tile Great Plains as fnr northeast as central Kan
sas and discovered the Colorado river and the
Grand canyon. AlarcOn discovered the Colorado
at It's month and gave II the name Of Rio de
Buena Guia (gOod guide) because that Was Men,
doxas device" Diax. travelling along the river.
saw the Indians carrying burning brands with
which to warm themselves; 20 he named Il Rio
dd Tixon tnrebrandI. Cardenas discovered the
Colorado at the Grand canyon. but for some rea-
son refrained from naming II. probably because
som afterward Il Was identified with the Rio del
TixOn. So the Coronado expedition gave the Colo
rAdO IT. two 6rst names.
The Coronado expedition was disappointing and
Il was not until 1854 that m expedition under
R0tlriguex 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 1905 to Juan de Onate.
who was made governor. adelantado and captain
general Of the province Of New Mexico. In 1893.
Onate reached the Santa Fe region with an army
ard Z colony Of 200 men. OF whom $50 had their
families. Onnte ruled New Mexico until 1905.
BY TOOK he and his sub0rdinates had reexplored
practically ali the ground covered by Coronado
ard 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 Zunl. Moqui and Williams river
to the Colombo and down the east bank OF that
river to the gull. Crossing the Colorado Ch,quit..
q little Colombo 10 leagues" southwest OF AOQui.
be named Il "Rio Colorado : because the
water 10 nearly red" Re II noted that the name
Colorado" Il here Owen for the nrst time. not to
the Colorado river but to one Of its branches, the
Little Colorado. To the Colorado itself, Onate
rave the name .Rlo 0rande Dc Buena Esperanxa-
(go0d hnpel.
At some indefinite time during the next hundred
years the name Colorado was transferred from
the Little Colorado 10 the main river. and before
the end az the century had heen pretty well estab-
iished. Father Kino. the great riman apostle
16e3-l711. uses the name freely. ~ he does the
alternative name Rio del Norte: and he even b.
slows up0n Il . new name. Rio de los Ap0Stoles.
a revolt AZ the Pueblo Indians In 1880 resulted
III the entire evacuation ~ New Mexico b. the
Spaniards until IT. reconquest by vergas IA l0De.
81. when most Of the missions were reestsblishel
aiso. Han DIEGO. the Grst Of the California mis-
Mons was estahlished h 1760: and IN the next
- years n others had been established. dotting
the coast from San DaegO to Gan Francisce bay.
Father Silvestre veles De Esca'ante. then Sta
toned II the Zuni mission, spent eight days At
Moqui 10 June. 1776. trying to discover whether
there wss m Indian trail across the Grand canyon.
He failed to extract any Information from the
Indians and concluded thar the canyon was i'm.
passahle. u ! letter On the subject writes TO
Fathes Oarces Aukusf r. It'll. he chilled the river
= the canyon Rio 0rande de los cosninOs. The
Coenina (Iavasupai3 Indians were settled on
Cntaract creek. The next year. 1870. Cares him.
self Travelled from Mohaye to Moqui. and went