The New York herald., 1921-05-30
When Kansas Was Quivera.

A little known phase of early
American history is recalled by the
announcement from Concordia, Kan
sas, that a shrine is to be built to
the memory of the Franciscan friar
JUAN DE PADnLA, who is believed to
be the first Christian martyr within
what is now the United States, and
that a monument is to mark the
spot where this pioneer evangelist
was killed by Indians almost four
hundred years ago.
Fray DE PADILLA belonged to that
Jealous band Of churchmen who
came to America with the first con
uuistadors. The success of his evan
gelistic work among the natives
near the city OF Mexico encouraged
him to penetrate further into the
interior of the country. He resigned
the charge of a monastery which he
had established to accompany Fray
MARCOS DE MIA on an exploring ex
pedition to the north. They discov
cred the territory now embraced In
New Mexico and Arizona, and they
were the first white men to meet the
pueblo Indians of New Mexico and to
enter into negotiations for peaceful
relations with them.
Instead of returning with Fray DE
MIA to Mexico De PADILLA Joined the
expedition of Francisco VAsoUEz DE-
CORONADO in his quest of the tabled
seven cities OF the Quivera. Even
after this able commander had given
UP in encouragement and started for
home Fray DE PApuLA continued his
work among the Indians. He and
his small band of followers we're set
upon by savage tribe in what is
generally believed to be southwestern
Kansas and all were murdered. The
controversy over the date and the
place of his death has given rise to
many curious legends, one Of which
is that his body was found by
friendly Indians, brought back to
Isleta and inferred In the church
where. at stated periods, it rises from
the tomb and traverses the sanctuary
Only within recent years has the
value of the early explorations OF
CORONADO been fully appreciated. He
started from New Mexico on his ex
pedition in April, 1541, prompted by
the glowing stories Of wealth Of gold
in the possession of an Indian tribe
called the Quivera which lived in
seven cities on the eastern plains
His route has been clearly traced
within the last two years by the find
ing of Spanish remains and the study
of his own journals. 1t led across
the central part of the State to the
Missouri line and back along the
southern border of Nebraska. He
treated the Indians with kindness
and his reports show that he investi
gated them and the country through
which he passed patiently and care
fully. In the study of the early
geography and ethnology of this sec
tion of the country his reports have
been of the greatest usefulness, and
his expedition is now looked upon as
one of the most important explora
tions undertaken In America In the
middle of the sixteenth century.
Kansas has deep reverence for
the memory of her pioneer priest and
martyr. She has shown a high re
spect too for CORONADO. She named
a town after him and she has trans
formed a highland in Mcpherson
county, from which the explorer Is
said to have made observations, into
State park, and given to 1t the
name of Coronado Heights. Kansas
does not forget that CORONADO put
the State on the map when the effete
East was mostly an unknown land
to the explorer. And, besides, he
had one marked characteristic of the
Kansan; to him the pot of gold lay
in the sunfowers at the other end
Of the rainbow.