Coronado

Francisco Vazquez de Coronado
Born in a family connected to royalty, left Spain for New Spain (Mexico) in 1535. Within a year of his arrival in New Spain, his marriage to an heiress netted him a large estate and friendships resulting in his 1538 appointment to governer of a large region.

Discovering the

fabled Seven Cities of Cibola for Spain was an assignment given to Coronado in 1540. Not finding any existence of these fabled cities or gold, Coronado learned about Quivira, an area said to be even richer than Cibola. He and his group rode through what is now the state of Oklahoma, crossed the Arkansas River near present day Dodge City, Kansas, and proceeded to the area known now as Lyons, Kansas. Instead of a city of gold, Coronado found Indians in grass-covered huts.
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