Escalante & Dominguez

The Dominguez-Escalante Expedition

The Spanish had already established several missions along the west coast before 1776. The next step was to establish a line of communication between the older settlements of New Mexico and the new ones on the coast. Three Franciscan fathers, Francisco Garces, Silvestre Velez de Escalante, and Francisco Antanasio Dominguez had been looking into the idea. In 1775, Escalante had been performing missionary work for the Zuni tribe. That summer he had explored a route from the Hopi villages to Monterey, California, via the Colorado River. Garces had been living at San Xavier del Bac near Tucson, Arizona. He had been interested in a route from his mission to Santa Fe. Meanwhile, Dominguez was checking up on missionary activities in New Mexico.

Escalante's plan, which Governor Mendinuetta approved, called for an expedition of 14 men to travel north until they were above the Grand Canyon, unfriendly Indians and the deadly deserts they knew to lie due west, then in as straight a course as possible to head west for California.

On July 29, 1776, this expedition left Santa Fe to great fanfare and fervent prayers by Escalante. The 14 men knew little of the country they were entering. Traveling northwest, they made their way into what is now western Colorado. On August 13 the party reached and named the winding Dolores River, where they camped and explored the nearby area.

Ê Above their camp, Fathers Escalante and Dominguez found the ancient ruins of a small Indian village, which Escalante noted in his journal -- the first written record of a prehistoric Anasazi site in Colorado. This site is now called Escalante Ruin, and a second site discovered nearby in modern times is called Dominguez Ruin.

The party moved north through western Colorado, until they became lost and would have perished from thirst had they not met a Ute Indian, who guided them to the Uncompahgre River, where his band was camped. Here Dominguez and Escalante acquired the services of two northern Utes who took them still further north to where Rangely, Colorado, now stands. Here the expedition turned west toward "Utah Lake."

After having traveled across eastern Utah, the explorers found a sign of hope when they encountered a lone bison. They rested a full day while jerking the meat. With a fresh supply of meat, they faced the difficult ford of the Green River. Here, at the northernmost extent of their journey they were in constant fear of raiding Shoshone Indians.

Days later when the 14 men entered "Utah Valley" near the present city of Provo, Utah, they saw dozens of friendly Ute villages dotting the shore of a huge lake. They turned south along what is now roughly Interstate 15,. meeting several groups of Ute Indians, but these shy people fled from the Spaniards and gave them no help finding a route to California.

Finally, just north of Cedar City, Utah, the expedition determined that moving straight west would bring them directly to Monterey. But now snowstorms and freezing temperatures began to dampen the spirits of the explorers to the point of despair. So far, the hardships of exploring a strange land had been overwhelming. They nearly died of thirst in blistering heat and lived under the constant threat of attack by unknown Indians. When the cattle they'd brought had all been consumed, they were forced to eat their mules.

So on October 4, 1776, when they stopped near Cedar City and were staggered by a blizzard, Escalante and Dominguez, concerned with a lack of supplies and the approach of Winter, decided to turn back to Santa Fe. Dissension over this decision led the Fathers to put the matter in the hands of the Almighty and cast lots, which confirmed their decision.

So the Expedition continued southward instead of heading west. Before they crossed the Virgin River near present-day Toquerville, Utah, they discovered fields of corn and signs of irrigation, but no farmers. These Paiutes were the only Indians noted by the explorers who had progressed beyond seed gathering and small game hunting.

Obstacles on the return trip were, if anything, worse than those encountered earlier. Freezing in alternating snow and cold rain, the expedition made its way south and east; twice they were stopped by cold so frightful they could only huddle around fires to survive. Their provisions ran out 6 days after the casting of the lots. If the lot had said "Monterey'' they would have starved to death in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas. Here, at least, they were able to escape the snow and get some nuts and berries from the Paiutes. However, this was not enough, so, as Escalante recorded, "the horses began to be deprived of their lives so we would not have to forfeit ours.''

Finally, after a week's journey in northern Arizona, crossing the north end of the Kaibab Plateau, descending into House Rock Valley, and following the base of the Vermillion Cliffs, they arrived at the Paria River. They traveled another 11 days before coming upon the Colorado River and crossed it at a place near Marble Canyon now known as The Crossing of the Fathers.

Ê On November 26, 1776, the Expedition reached civilization at the Zuni Pueblo, south of Gallup, New Mexico, where the padres compiled their journals. Finally, after stopping on their way east at what is now El Malpais National Monument, the Dominguez- Escalante Expedition returned to Santa Fe on January 2, 1777 and reported to Governor Mendinuetta.

The expedition had traveled for nearly six and a half months, undergoing privations and suffering they would remember forever. At no time were they even close to their goal in California, making instead a huge, rambling 2,0000-mile circle through the Great Basin Desert and mountains of the West.

Yet the Expedition could not be called a failure. While no direct link was established between Monterey and Santa Fe, the interior West had at last been penetrated, explored and chronicled. Father Escalante's journals and Captain Miera's maps would become invaluable to those who would follow, opening what would be called the Old Spanish Trail 40 years later, between Santa Fe and California.

1. Escalante's plan called for an expedition of how many men?

20
14
6
12

2. On August 13, the party reached and named what river?

Escalante River
Colorado River
Dolores River
Indian River

3. After traveling across eastern Utah, the travelers found a lone ____ .

bison
deer
cow
goat

4. When the cattle they'd brought had all been consumed, what did they start to eat?

vegetables
mules
sheep
nothing

5. How did the group survive in the cold on two occasions?

They drank hot cocoa.
They made an igloo.
They danced.
They huddled around the fire.

6. How long did the expedition last?

nearly six and a half days
nearly six and a half years
nearly six and a half months
nearly six and a half hours

Your score is out of 5.