Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1921-10-07

into the Grand canyon at the bend below the Lit
tie Colorado June 20. He named the canyon
Puerto de Bucaren (Bucareli'S paSS) in honor or
the then vicerOy.
Grand river, both above and below its junction
with Gunnison river, was named Rio San Rafael
by Fathers Dominiguez and Escalante In 1875 To
the south branch, the present Gunnison river they
gave the name Rio San Javier (Xavier) and re-
ported the Ute Indian name as TOmichi. In this
area Pixies maps, 180507, like other early maps
are difficult to interpret His 'Rio de los Animas'
Gas Animas) is much more like Grand river than
his "Rio San Rafael" In 1S43 Fremont lettered
it Grand river as did Captain Stansbury in 1912
But for long years the maps showed great d-
versity of nomenclature, Below It's junction with
the Gunnison, this river was usually called Grand
river rarely Rio Colorado Grand and even
Colorado Above the junction it was called Grand
Bunkara Blue and North Fork of Grand river. Gum
nison river was named variously 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 a small
south branch of the latter in Summit county.
Colorado.
Green river was called Rio de San Buenaven-
tura by Dominique and Escalante in 1776, and
Escalante says (DiariO, Sept. II, 1870, that It
was so named in 1853 by FIR. Alfonso de Posada
Thinking that it flowed to the west, the map max
orc represented IT as crossing the Great basin ard
flowing into the Pacific ocean. Thus it was that
the River Buenaventura became the famous "ghost
which for years haunted the maps of the far
West. Pike 18O5-07, mapped it with headwaters
in the position of upper Green river, having an
affluent Rio de San Clemente (Escalante's name
for White river an east branch of the Green riv-
err, and flowing southwest into Sewer lake (name
lessl Before 1911, however, upper Green river
was known to be connected with the Colorado
The AstoEians called it both Spanish river and
Colorado river 1t was called Rio Colorado by
Jedediah S. Smith in 1924 and Rio Colorado Of
the West by William FL. Ashley in 1928. Bonhe-
Vile 1887 ettered it Colorado of the West on his
man Of the territory west of the Rocky Mountains
The name Green river dates at least as far
back as 1924. Dale refers to a news item in the
Missouri Integencer, June 25 1925, of a party
leaving Santa Cruz in November, 1924, to trap on
sGreen river" Fremont says that the Spaniards
contrasting tits timbered shores and green wooded
islands with its dry sandy plains" named it Rio
Verde (Green river); Bancroft speaks of an en-
ployee Of Ashey's, sMr. Green who gave his name
to Green river; and Chttenden advances the
theory that the name may have been suggested
by the color of the water
The act of congress providing for the organiza-
tion of the territory of Colorado approved
February g. 1861. AS introduced and passed
nv the house. the bill named the proposed
organization the territory OF Idaho-"Idaho' hav-
ing been selected from many names proposed. In
the senate on motion of Senator Wilson of Mas
sachusetts, the name of the territory amended
nv striking out "Idaho and inserting Colorado !"
This was done at the suggestion of Delegate VIII
lams for the reason that the Colorado river arose
in it's mountains, hence there peculiar fit
ness in the name. Bancroft, however, says that
"The name Colorado was given to it at the sug-
gestion of the man (Wiam Gilpin) selected for
its first governor and he quotes from manu-
script Of Gilpins as follows: "Some wanted it
called Jefferson. some Arcadia. said the people
have to great extent named the states after the
great rivers of the country and the great feature
of that country is the great Colorado river. Ah
said he (Wilson of Massachusetts,, that is it +;
and he named it Colorado"