The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1921-10-29
ar EzE GR4M0 RzZE2

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. Thls
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 no less than nine names between 154O ana
1776 II also sets forth how the Green river came
to be known as the "Ghost river" to- geographers.
Among the facts brought out are these:
It 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
eas 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 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 Tzon (firebrand). Cardenas discovered the
Colorado ut the Grand canyon but for some rea-
son refrained from naming 1t, probably because
soon afterward it identified with the Rio del
Tizon So the Coronado expedition gave the Colo
RADIO its two first names.
The Coronado expedition was disappointing and
It was not until 1881 that expedition under
Rodriguez revisited the region. This revived in
terest in the conquering and settling or 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 $50 had their
families Onate ruled New Mexico until 1919.
By 1905 he and his subordinates had reexplored
piActicalIy all the ground covered by Coronado
and opened new trails In 1904 he made jour-
~ vfn1 hfc oduuqr ar Sanf0
Fe 70 the head Of the Gulf of California. He
went by way Of Zuni, MoQui and Williams river
to fine Colorado and down the east bank OF that
river to the gulf. Crossing the Colorado Chqulto.
or little Colorado 40 leagues" southwest OF Moqui.
he named 1t "Rio Colorado because the
water is nearly red" BE it noted that the name
"Colorador is here given for the first time not to
the Colorado river but to one of it's branches, the
Little Colorado. To the Colorado itself, Onate
gave the name .Rio GranIe de Buena Esperanza"
(gooG hope).
At some indefinite time during the next hundred
years the name Colorado was transferred from
the Little Colorado to the main river, and before
tlc end Of the century had been pretty well estab-
lished Father Ksno, the great Piman apostle,
1Gs3-1711, uses the name freely as he does the
alternative name Rio fel Norte; and he even be-
slows upon 1t "a new naIne. Rio de los Apostoles.
revolt Of the Pueblo Indians in 1850 resulted
in the entire evacuation Of New Mexico by tho.
Spaniards until Its recOnquest by versas III ioo@
"a, when most Of the missions were reestablished
also San Diego the first of the California mis-
sions was established In 1859; and In the next
50 years II others had been established. dotting
the coast from San Diego to San Francisco bay
Father Sslvps.re velez de EscaIante then sta
tioreA AT the zuni mission. spent eight days at
Afoaui IN June 1775. trying to discover whether
there wns IN Indian trail across the Grand canyon
He filled Ia extract any Information from the
Indians AMI concluded thar the canyon was I'M
nnrsnhie In lef'er on fine subject written to
Father Gnrces August 49, 1775. he called the rivef
81 III. crnrn, Rio Grnnde de los Cosninos The
Cosn,na tlIavnsupai1 Indians were settled on
y rntaruct creek. TIE next year. 1776, Garces him
SELF travelled from Siohave to MoQui, and went