Utah State Historical Society State Capitol — Salt Lake City, Utah Volume IX
July, October, 1941
Nos. 3-4
FATHER E S C A L A N T E ' S ITINERARY* By Herbert S. Auerbach July 29, 1776, Father Escalante and his party left Santa Fe, the capital city of New Mexico. July 29, stayed at the village of Espanola on the west side of the Rio Grande, overnight. July 30-31, stayed at Abiquiu, an Indian Pueblo built on the site of Pueblo Ruins on Chama River and on the Old Spanish Trail. August 1, camped northwest of Abiquiu and between Abiquiu and a small trading village named Canjilon. (El Cobre.) •Since the publication of the article: " F a t h e r Escalante's Route," In Volume B, Nos. 1 and 2, 1941 of the Utah Historical Quarterly, I have received a large number of comments and inquiries regarding Escalante's journey and map. As a result of the wide interest expressed, I have taken time to go over the Diary of Fray Francisco Atanacio Dominguez and Fray Silvestre Velez de Escalante and the map of Don Bernardo de Miera y Pacheco (the cartographer of their party) at some length, and as a result of this research have prepared a map showing the route that Escalante probably traveled as projected on a modern map. Obviously such a route cannot be located with entire accuracy. Discrepancies in Longitude and Latitude and inaccurate measurements of each day's travel are some of the difficulties encountered. Occasionally I find it puzzling to understand how Escalante could have traveled as great a distance in some one day over some particular stretch of terrain as he has recorded in his diary. The variations of water levels in lakes and streams and the changing of some stream courses since 1776 tend also to create confusion. I hope that this map and accompanying article may prove of interest to students of Father Escalante's journey. Along those portions of the adventurous Father's circuitous route where I am familiar with the country, particularly in Utah, I have endeavored to describe the topography with more detail than along other portions of Father Escalante's route. Father Escalante had long been deeply interested in the various routes from Santa Fe to the Missions in California and particularly to Monterey. These missions were becoming increasingly important and were growing fast. Escalante had conceived the idea that a northern route to Monterey would be more practical, at least during the warmer months, than any of the more southern routes. He was particularly interested in exploring such a route, which he felt would provide quicker communication and closer relationship between Santa Fe and these missions, and over which supplies for the California missions could be transported more quickly and more economically. Escalante had requested permission to go as a leader, or even as a member of the party, in the event such an expedition might be authorized. I desire to acknowledge particularly my indebtedness to J. Cecil Alter for his valuable assistance and suggestions in preparing this article, which represents our best thought from careful comparisons of the Escalante Journal, the Miera map and the ground itself in many places. I wish to thank Librarian Leslie E. Bliss and staff in the Huntington Library, San Marino, California, for their courtesy and help in giving me access to their many valuable documents and particularly: "Diario y derrotero de los R. R. P. P. Fr. Francisco Atanacio Dominguez y Fr. Silvestre Velez de Escalante, p a r a descubrir el camino desde el Presidio de Santa Fe del Nuevo-Mexico, al de Monterey, en la California Septentrional." (Documentos P a r a La Historia de Mexico. Segunda Sierie. Tomo 1, 1853.) I wish also to acknowledge that I obtained some aid in the northern Arizona portion or Escalante's journey from Prof. Herbert E. Bolton's highly interesting article: "Escalante In Dixie And The Arizona Strip." (Published in the New Mexico Historical Review. Vol. Ill, No. 1. J a n u a r y 1828.)
