, 1921-10-06
or EW GR4RD RzNe,

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
was set forth in Il 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 1910 and
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:
1t was the Coronado expedition of 1540-42, 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
sas and discovered the Colorado river and the
Grand canyon. Alarcon discovered the Colorado
at its mouth and gave II the name of Rio de
Buena Guia good guide) because that was Men
doza's device" Dlaz. travelling along the river.
saw the Indians carrying burning brands with
which TO warm themselves; so he named II Rio
del Tizon (irebrand). Cardenas discovered the
Colorado ut the Grand canyon, but for some rea-
son refrained from naming II, probably because
soon afterward it was Identified with the Rio del
Tizon. So the Coronado expedition gave the Colo
RADIO Its two first names.
The Coronado expedition was disappointing and
1t was not until 1881 that an expedition under
Rodriguez revisited the region. This revived in
terest In the conquering and settling 0f New
Mexico.
The contract for the conquest and settlement
was finally awarded in 1895 TO Juan de Onate.
who was made governor, adelantado and captain
general Of the province of New Mexico. In 1893,
Onate reached the Santa Fe region with an army
and a colony of 400 men, of whom 100 had their
families. Onate ruled New Mexico until 1905.
BY 1905 he and his subordinates had reexplored
practically all the ground covered by Coronado
and opened new trails. In 1904 he made a jour
ney from San Gabriel, his headquarters near Santa
Fe, to the head of the Gulf of California. He
went by way of Zuni, Moqui and Williams river
to the Colorado and down the east bank OF that
river to the gulf. Crossing the Colorado Chlquito.
or little Colorado 40 leagues" southwest of Modul,
he named II "Rio Colorado " " because the
water is nearly red" BE II noted that the name
Colorado 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 Grande de Buena Esperanza"
good hope).
At some Indefinite time during the next hundred
years the name Colorado was transferred from
The Little Colorado 10 the main river. and before
The end of the century had been pretty well estab-
lished. Father Kino. the great Piman apostle
16s3.lT11, uses the nam freely, as lie does the
alternative name Rio del Norte; and he even be-
slows upon II n new name, Rio de los Apostoles.
A revolt OF the Pueblo Indians in 1850 resulted
in the entire evacuation of New Mexico by the
Spaniards until It's reconquest by Vergns In 1892
"a. when most OF the missions were reestablshed
also. San Diego. the first Of the California mis-
sions, wns established In 1860: and In the next
30 years II others had been established. dotting
the coast from San Diego to San Francisco bay.
Father Sllvestre velez de Escalante. then sta
TONED at the Zuni mission. spent eight days at
Modui In June. I775, trying 10 discover whether
there was an Indian trail across the Grand canyon.
lie failed to extract any Information from the
Indians and concluded that the canyon was Inn
pnssnble. In n letter ON the subject written TO
Father Gnrces August 1s. 1775. he called the river
or the canyon Rio Grnnde de los Cosninos. The
CosnInn QInvasupai) Indians were settled on
Cataract creek. The next year. iT7G. Gnrces him
self travelled from MoInve 10 Moqui. and went