From horizon to horizon. Traditional Cache
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(not chosen)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
More history. Short walk from easy parking. The discriptions is long because it is published in The Daily Record.
This is a geocache placed to commerate the Spaniards who owned and occupied Fremont County for nearly three hundred years and who's influence still effects us every single day of our lives.
It was Feb in the year 1540, when the residents of the 'new lands' were treated to a sight that would astound the present residents of those 'new lands'. A cavalcade of two thousand pale face warriors and their dark skinned attendents plodded across the plains in a meandering column that stretched from horizan to horizan.
Captain-General Francisco Vasquez de Coronado set off with an entourage of fortune seekers, that began in Mexico and lead into the 'New Land to the North', looking for the reported "seven cities of solid gold!" His travels and exploring extended as far North as the present Denver.
Coronado was born thirty years before in Salamanca Spain to prosperous aristocratic parents. As a soldier/fortune hunter in service to the queen, he'd found favor and was chosen to be the leader into those 'new lands.' To the residents who'd occupied those 'new lands' the sight of these aliens had to have been unbelievable! They'd never laid eyes on either white or black man! Metal had not been invented. Horses and domestic animals were unheard of.
No expense was spared in providing and outfitting the venture. Accounts tell us it was "the most brilliant company ever assembled in the Indies to go in search of new lands" and the Seven Cities of Gold.
Approximately 300 of the 'flowers of Spanish' soldiers wore coats of mail. Some had iron helmets with various pieces of armor, and some wore Aztec style leather war dress including helmets of leather topped with beautiful plumage, all armed to the teeth bearing shields and lances. All were mounted on horses who also wore metal breast plates and the accompning armor. Each of the 300 had a number of extra horses that befitted his rank. Sunlight gleamed from General Coronado who wore a magnificent gold gilded armor with a beautiful plumed helmet.
Next in line came the auxiliary force of more than eight hundred Mexican Indian allies, they carried crossbows and harquebuses(guns). Those who observed the event next saw the missionaries and priests who's job was to Christianize those heathen and would later make their life a living hell. Then came the menials, personal servants, negro bearers, grooms, herders. Long lines of nearly six hundred saddle horses, then pack mules burdened with awkward bundles, urged by raucous muleteers. There were files of Mexican porters, servants and lackeys carrying, on their backs and heads, burdens almost as cumbersome as those of the mules. Add too this mix the camp women, wives and families who'd followed along. Bringing up the rear were droves of oxen, cows, sheep, and pigs (Costco on the hoof) tended by sweating herdsmen.
Altogether an army which no sensible Indian would care to tangle! I'm sure that we of the modern age would be astounded at the sight,if it gathered today.
Slow and laborious was the progress. Straying cattle, overloaded pack animals, and a thousand and one delays beset the traveling army who had only a vague idea of where they were heading. Soon the fighting force wearied of the slow passage and broke off into quicker moving groups. The huge entrouge dwindled down as they meandered Northward.
The mission was considered a failure but make no mistake, those explorers left their mark on this very land that you and I now occupy. For nearly 3 hundred years they never got over their thirst for gold and their determination to Christianize the natives. Today traces of their occupation extend as far as north of Denver. They were the iron fisted masters of this land and their presence is still an every day part of our lives. The Spanish spelling of Canon City and the word Colorado are continual reminders of their rule .
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
Loading Treasures