The Dolores star., 1921-10-07

into the Grand canyon at the bend below the Lit
lie Colorado June 26. He named the canyon
Puert" de Bucare (BucareIi's pass) i'll honor of
the then vicerOy.
Grand river, both above and below its junction
with Gunnson river was named Rio San Rafael
by Fathers Domingucz and Escaante in 1I76 To
the south branch. the present GunniSon river they
gave the name lto san Javier tNaver) and
ported the Ute Indian name Tonchi. In this
area Pixies maps. 1SO5-O7. like other early maps.
are difficult to interpret His Rio de los Animas"
tlas Anmas) is much more like Grand river than
his Rio San Rafael" In 1913 Fremont lettered
it Grand river, as did Captain Stansbury in 1910.
But for long years the maps showed great di-
versity of nomenclature. Below its junction with
the Gunnison, this river usually called Grand
river. rarely Rio Colorado Grand and even
Colorado. Above the junction it was called Grand.
BunEnra, Blue and North Fork of Grand river Gun
niSon river was named variously Eagle Eagle Tail.
South Fork of Grand Grande and Grand river
In after years Captain Gunnson's name became
gradually fixed on the branch which he explored,
and the name Grand on the north main branch
while the name Blue river describes small
south branch of the latter in Summit county
Colorado.
Green river called Rio de San Bupnaven-
tura by Dominique and Escalante in 17T6 and
EScalante says Diario. Sept H. 1TTt), that 1t
was so named in 1853 by FIR Alfonso de Posada
Thinking that it flowed 10 the west the man max.
represented it as crossing the Great basin and
flowing into the Pacific ocean. Thus it was that
the River Buenaventura became the famous "ghost
river" which for years haunted the maps of the far
West Pike 1SO3-OI, mapped ii with headwaers
in the position of upper Green river having nm
afuent. Rio de San Clemente (Escalantes name
for White river, an east branch of the Green rIv-
err. and flowing southwest into Sewer lake lname-
less). Before 1911 however, upper Green river
known to be connected with the COLORADO,
The Astorians called it both Spanish river ana
Colorado river 1t called Rio Colorado bv
Jededah s. Smith In 1924 and Rio Colorado o.
the West by William II. Ashley in 1925 Ronna
Vile, 1897, lettered it Colorado of the West on his
map 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 tho
Missouri Intelligencer, June 25, 1926 of n marty
leaving Santa Cruz in November 1924 to tran on
Green river" Fremont says that the Standards
contrasting Its timbered shores and green wooded
islands with its dry sandy plains" named II Mo
Verde Green river) Bancroft speaks of m em
ployee of Ashleys, MIR. Green who gave his nam
to Green river; and Chittenden advances tba
theory that the name may have been suggested
by the color of the water.
The act of congress providing for the orgo,,vo
tiOn of the territory of Colorado was annrov.d
February 2S. 1861. AS introduced and nc no,o,
by the house, the bill named the proposed n
organization the territory of Idaho-"Idobo, bor
ing been selected from many names nronosod +,
the senate, on motion of Senator Wilson of Mos.
sachusetts. the name of the territory was onond',
by striking out idaho and inserting "f,onr,a
This was done at the suggestion OF Delegate W,,.
liams. for the reason that the Colorado river or,'.
In its mountains, hence there was n nec,,,,o a
ness in the name. Bancroft however saws that
me name Colorado was given to it at the sur.
gestion OF the man (Wiam Gilpin) selec,oa g.
It's hrst governor; and he quotes from n nao,.
script of Gilpns as follows: "some wo,,n, y.
called Jefferson. some Arcadia said tha 49,, u
have to great extent named the states af.or ~.
great rivers OF the country and the great featu,s
OF that country is the great Colorado river .,n,
said he tWilson Of Massachusetts, .thn, Al AZ,
and he named 1t Colorado" nat Is IL;