The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1921-10-28

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
WIS set forth In report furnished by George
ous Smith, director of the geological survey on
the history of the naming OF the Colorado Grand
aud Green rivers and of the state Of Colorado.
This report explains how the Colorado came to
hear no less than nine names between 1910 and
i776 II also sets forth how the Green river came
to be known as the "Ghost river" to geographers.
Among the facts brought out these:
II was the Coronado expedition OF i540-4o sent
out by Nceroy Mendoza, that first explored the
pueblo country Of New Mexico aud Arizona and
the Great Plains far northeast as central Kan.
sRs and discovered the Colorado river aud the
Grand canyon, Alnrcon discovered the Colorado
NJ It's mouth aud gave II the name Of Rio de
Huena Guin tgood guidel because that was Men.
dozas device" Dlnz. travelling along the river.
saw the Indians carrying burning brands with
which 10 warm themselves; he named II Rio
Gel flzon tnrehrnnd) Cardena. discovered the
Colorado at the Grand canyon but for some ren-
son RETAINED from naming It, probably because
soon afterward II was Identified with the Rio del
Tlxon. SO the Coronado expedition gave the Colo
rndo lis 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 Ia the eonquering and settling New
Mexiro,
The contract for the conquest and settlement
was finally awarded in 1905 To Juun de ona;e
who was made governor adeaniado and captain
general Of the province of New Mexico In 1905
Ornate reached the Santa he region with mn army
ard colony of 100 men. al whom $50 had their
families onate ruled New Mexico until tGO5
iiy ttn1 he and his suhnrdlnates had reexplored
practically all the ground covered by Coronado
aud opcned new traits. In 1904 he made n jour
ney from san Gabriel his headquarters near Santa
be To- the head of the Gulf Of California lie
by way of Zun Mequ and Williams river
Ia the Colorado and down the east bank OF that
river Ia the gulf Crossing the Colorado Chauitn
ar little Colorado 10 leagues" southwest OF Moa,l
he named II "itio Colorado because the
water is nearly red" lie II noted that the name
Colorado Is here given for the first time nor To-
the Colorado river but to one OF its branches the
Little Colorado u the Colorado itself Onate
gave the uame "Ro Grande lie nuena EsperanEa"
tgeod hppe)
NJ some ndchnti, time during the next hundred
wears the name Colorado wns transferred from
the Little Colorado 10 the main river. and before
the end of the century had been pretty well estah.
lishcd Father k'no. the great riman apostle
utSllTii uses the name freely. he does the
alternative name Rio dol Nnrte aud he even be
slows upon Il maine lilo dc hos ApoStoles
\ rv,o, Of the ruehlo indians In l6So resulted
tn the entire evacuation at New Mexico hy the
SpnnauiS until It's rccuuqueSt by Ncrgas In iGae
%. whru most ~ the missions were rveStnblishcd
also san Diego the first of the California mis-.
sions Was established IN lTt9. aud In tbe next
~ years Il others had been established. du'tlns
tbr coast from Sau piegp 10 san Francisco has.
Father S'lyc~'rr Nrvr De EsNlUntv. then sta
Toned At the Huni mission. speut cgh, days ~
MulW ia Iuue. i57a trying tn discover whether
thrrs was au Indian trail across the Graud canyon
llr failcd to extract any Information from the
Indians aud concluded that the canyon was i'm.
passahio. la a letter the subject written Ia
inther Garccs Angus: ~ t1T5. he called the river
or the canyon Rio t;tande lie lbs CospiooS Tn.
CoSnlna (ilnvaSupaD Indians we're settled ON
Cataract creek. The next war 1876. GarcrS him.
self travelled FROM MohaNe TO Muqui. and weat