Juan Rivera's Colorado, 1765: The First Descriptions of Colorado and the Ute Indians

Event details

While most readers of the history of the American West are familiar with the Dominguez-Escalante expedition in the late 18th century, few are familiar with their predecessor and trailblazer Juan Rivera, a Spaniard who set off from New Mexico a decade earlier. In two journeys through Southwestern Colorado, including the present-day locations of Montrose and Delta, Rivera encountered and recorded his early contacts with Ute and Paiute Natives. 

Steven Baker is the first scholar and historian to explain Rivera’s experiences in his quest to find silver, the Colorado River, and the mysterious bearded men of Teguayo.

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