The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1921-10-07

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 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.
Jhis{ report explains how the Colorado game to
bear no less than nine names between $40 and
1776. It 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 1540-42. sent
out by viceroy Mendoza, that first explored the
pueblo country OF New Mexico and Arizona and
the Great Plains as far northeast central Kan
sas and discovered the Colorado river and the
Grand canyon. Alarcon discovered the Colorado
at its mouth and gave It the name of Rio de
Buena Guia (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 ffrebrand). Cardenas discovered the
Colorado ut the Grand canyon but for some rea-
refraned from naming 1t, probably because
soon afterward 1t identified with the Rio del
Tizon. So the Coronado expedition gave the Colo
rado its two first Names F8s4 a
The Coronado expedition was disappointing and
1t was not until 1881 that an expedition under
Rodriguez revisited the region. This revived in
terest In the conquering and settling of New
Mexico.
The contract for the conquest and settlement
was finally awarded in 1906 to Juan de Onate.
who was made governor, adelantadO and captain
general Of the province of New Mexico. In 1598
Onate reached the Santa Fe region with army
and a colony Of 400 men, Of whom 100 had their
families. Onate ruled New Mexico until 1905
BY 1905 he and his subordnates 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. Moqui and Williams river
to the Colorado and down the east bank OF that
river to the gulf Crossing the Colorado Chiquito,
little Colorado 10 leagues southwest of Mo1ui.
he named 1t "Rio Colorado because the
b water Is nearly red" Be It 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 Esperanza"
(good hope). s
At some indefinite time during the next hundred
years the name Colorado was transferred from
the Little Colorado to the main river. and before
the end Of the century had been pretty well esab-
lished Father Kino. the great Piman apostle
16S3-1711, the name freely, as he does the
alternative name Rio del Norte; and he even be-
slows upon 1t a new name, Rio de los Apostoles.
"a revolt Of the Pueblo Indians in 1880 resulted
in the entire evacuation of New Mexico by the
Spaniards until Its reconquest by vergas In 1892.
"a, when most Of the missions were reestablished
also. San Diego. the first of the California mis-
sibns. established in 1899; and in the next
80 years II others had been established. dotting
the coast from San Diego to San Francisco bay.
Father Silvestre velez de Escalante. then sta
toned at the Zuni mission, spent eight days at
Moqui in June, 1775, trying to discover whether
there was 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 the subject written to
Father Gafces August 49, 1775 he called the river
or the canyon Rio Grande de los Cosnnos The
Cosnina tHavasupai Indians were settled on
Cataract creek. The next year, 1776 Garces him
self Travelled from Mohave to Moaui. and went