“Palo Duro and Coronado”
As I was doing this painting of The Palo Duro Canyon, I was thinking about a day long ago, May 23, 1541, when something happened at this canyon. What happened here at this canyon was that a young Spanish Conquistador and explorer, who was only thirty-one years old, had a celebration dinner here with his army. I don’t know much about the reasons why they were celebrating and had the dinner, but it happened here.
That young man’s name was Francisco Vasquez de Coronado y Lujan. Now nearly all Americans know him now simply as Coronado.
To put in perspective just how long ago this day was, Coronado's dinner in the canyon took place sixty-seven years before the Jamestown settlers stepped on to land (May 13, 1607) on the eastern coast of North America.
Being a second son to a wealthy family in Spain, Coronado was excluded from any of the family’s inheritance. So to be somebody, he had to go somewhere to make his fortune. When he was twenty-five years old, he chose to go to The New World that had been discovered only 42 years before. Arriving in Mexico, he soon married a girl, Beatriz de Estrada, from a very wealthy and prominent family. Soon thereafter, he became the Governor of the Kingdom of Nueva Galicia in western Mexico.
Spain, involved in expensive European wars, needed gold. They had already conquered and looted the gold from the Aztec Empire in Mexico and the Inca Empire in Peru.
There was great speculation among the Spanish aristocracy in Mexico that perhaps another Indian Empire with more shiploads of gold was somewhere north of Mexico in the vast unknown wilderness. In 1539, Governor Coronado sent Friar Marcos de Niza and the black explorer Estevanico on an expedition to the north to see if they could locate the Indian Empire. Friar Marcos returned with great news: he had seen a seven golden cities on a hill named Cibola. Governor Coronado got the gold fever and immediately started making plans to find and conquer this city of gold.
As the plans were made, the cost of the expedition grew and grew. Govenor Coronado invests everything he owns, including the vast wealth of his wife, in the expedition. Viceroy Antonio De Mendoza of Mexico also becomes a major investor; however, he wants verification that there really are cities of gold to the north. He sends a smaller expedition northward under the command of Melchor Diaz.
On February 23, 1540, Governor Coronado departs Compostela in Western Mexico leading an army of 335 Spaniards, 1300 Indians, four monks, an unknown number of Indian and black slaves and camp followers. They also had 1500 horses, several cannons, an unknown number of supply and camp gear carts and camp followers. The expeditionary force stretched for miles down the narrow trails. Also, ships full of supplies were sent northward up the Gulf of California to find a river to hopefully supply the army when they got further inland.
On the way, Coronado’s huge expedition met the small force returning from their exploration (the one sent by the viceroy to confirm whether or not there was actually a city of gold). The commander, Melchor Diaz, reported to Coronado that they had not found any such city or any gold. Coronado ordered him not to discuss this with his soldiers.
So from this point forward, Coronado knew, but his army did not know, there may not be any cities of gold. I am sure that he agonized over what to do.
They would be gone for two years and would travel nearly two thousand miles northward through present day northern Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.
In New Mexico , they had given up on finding the golden citie of, Cibolo. But then they met an Indian that said there was another city of gold, Quivira, further to the north. They nicknamed the Indian, “The Turk.” They brought him along as a guide and continued northward.
They crossed the great grassy plains and named it The Llano Estacado. They found Palo Duro Canyon and had the celebration dinner. They continued on, but by the time they reached the Kansas River in present day State of Kansas, Cornado had lost faith. He had “The Turk” tortured and he confessed there was no city of gold named Quivira. For this, The Turk lost his life—he was executed.
Devastated, Coronado gave up his dream of fame and riches and started the two thousand miles back down their trail. Coronado, and only one hundred soldiers of his army, would live to return to Compostela.
Coronado had lost his entire investment and was soon in bankruptcy. Then to make matters worse, he was accused of, and found guilty of, atrocities against the Indians and was removed from office. Defeated and broke, he moved his family to Mexico City and held a minor position until his health failed and he died in 1554.
He was just forty-four years old.
Cheers,
Acree
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