Show UTAH COLORADO t r VE AUR NATIONAL MONUMENT UTAH UK LAKE E GREEN RIVER LURK S WR R t D ET ScIPIO l O GRANo TA I BlAt I CANYON o TIlE ON Tl MOM Of t MONTROSE M e eI eI I t RIB SL PAR i GEORGE NAIL MON I GS rNEa MESA L NAVAHO MON I PIPE LEES LEE'S t FERRY HOPI INDIAN I I I COLORADO r r rt t SANTA FE r rt t t INGO Igo SANDERS I II I I ZUNI ISLETA PUEBLO I ARIZONA i NEW MEXICO ACOMA ESCALANTE DOMINGUEZ-ESCALANTE expedition of 1776 Is traced on the above map The expedition began In Santa Fe New Mexico going through Colorado Utah and Arizona and back to New ew Mexico The expedition crossed the Green River at Jensen Esc Escalante lante tion on commemoration plans snide made Utah officials have joined those from Crom Colorado New Mexico and Arizona in forming a compact for federal and state cooperation in commemorating the Escalante Dominguez-Escalante Expedition of 1776 THE TIIE EXPEDITION organized by two Franciscan priests covered nearly 2000 miles of the four stales states and began in Santa Fe only weeks after the Declaration of oC Independence Independence Independence In In- dependence was signed Commemoration of the expedition is part of oC the American America n Revolution tion Bicentennial observance and involves Bicentennial Commissions of the four states related state agencies and federal officials Also participating are representatives of oC the native American Indian and Hispano communities ELECTED CHAIRMAN of the Escalante Dominguez-Escalante State-Federal State Bicentennial Committee compact was Dr Melvin T. T Smith of the Utah State Historical Society which has led in historical research on the expedition Dr Smith will also direct Utah's activities in the commemoration ti on with assistance from Dr J. J M. M Raymond Haymond librarian for the historical society The various aspects of the commemoration are included in special projects organized by bythe bythe bythe the Utah Bicentennial Commission Executive Director of the Commission is John T. T Kesler while Mrs Teddy Griffith is director of special projects Dr Smith noted that among activities being planned are establishment of a monument at the mouth of oC Spanish Fork Canyon through which the expedition passed in September of 1776 ALSO BEING organized are historical workshops to be held in various Utah communities and hiking and horseback rides along portions of oC the trail near Strawberry Reservoir in northwest Utah and the Escalante Desert area Smith said Utah will also publish a trail guide and coordinate development of exhibits picnic sites visitor facilities and other projects along the expedition route Much of oC the work along the trail will be done by federal agencies agen agen- cies The Escalante Dominguez-Escalante Expedition Smith noted was organized by two priests of the Franciscan order who set out with a party of 10 from Santa SantaFe SantaFe SantaFe Fe New Mexico July 29 1776 ITS ACCOMPLISHMENTS included gathering valuable geographical information on the mostly uncharted territory It also laid the basis for the Old Spanish Trail which later linked New Mexican missions with a major mission in Los Las Angeles From Santa Fe the expedition headed northwest into Colorado It crossed the Utah Colorado-Utah border north of oC the present town of Jensen Utah near Dinosaur National Monument September 13 1776 MOVING west-southwest west the band of explorers passed south of Vernal to the present Strawberry Reservoir area It then made its way down the Diamond Fork Creek to the warm springs of the Spanish Fork River The expedition went through the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon and headed along Utah Lake to the Provo and Orem areas Backtracking it moved south then southwest crossing the Sevier River and heading west to Butte Butter where it arrived in early October r of 1776 CONTINUING SOUTH the party followed a path near the present Utah Highway crossed through the eastern edge of oC the Escalante Desert and moved into Arizona at the Hurricane Cliffs area Re-entering Re Utah October 21 the party later moved back into Arizona to the Lees Lee's Ferry area before returning to Utah By October 26 1776 the expedition enduring its m most st difficult part of the journey began wandering along high cliffs on the north side of the Colorado River Not until November 7 was it able to descend to the river along a narrow Indian trail near Gun GunSight GunSight GunSight Sight Butte THERE THE TIIE group made the famous Crossing of oC the Fathers and for the next three days camped in Utah just above the Arizona border before heading south through Arizona on its way back to Santa Fe Cooperating with the four Cour states in commemorating the lite expedition are the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation Bureau of oC Land Management National Park Service U. U S. S Forest Service Bureau of Reclamation and Bureau of Indian Affairs In addition two bills have been sponsored in Congress by Senators Frank E E. E Moss Wallace F. F Bennett and other senators in the states affected to make the trail pa part t of the National Trails System |