The journey of Coronado and Fr. Juan de Padilla etched in Kansas history

Kansas and Catholic Church history are forever entwined because of the Coronado Expedition of 1541. The presence of Fray Juan de Padilla on that expedition, his efforts at evangelization and his martyrdom assure that Coronado’s trek will forever be a course of study for scholarly historic research.

Bernie Tomc of Gladstone, Mo., spoke on the significance of "The Trek of Coronado into Quivira" at the September symposium addressing "The Franciscan Presence in the Borderlands of North America" in Amarillo Sept. 16-18.

The following are excerpts from Tomc’s presentation:

"Scholars disagree about Coronado’s route into present day Texas, Oklahoma and southwest Kansas, however, the disagreement ends when the expedition reaches the bend of the Arkansas River, north of Ford, Kansas. ‘Scholars agree that Coronado waded across the river at the crossing where Ford, Kansas, is now...the confusion ended at the Arkansas because the view from the high ground on the trail provided instant orientation, and there were creeks and hills and small buttes along the way that made the Kansas countryside memorable.’ 1

"Herbert Bolton writes in his epic southwest classic, Coronado, Knight of the Pueblo and Plains, ‘....on the march to Quivira, that is, to the crossing at the bend of Arkansas near the present town of Ford, Kansas.’

"As a final piece of evidence on Coronado crossing the Arkansas near Ford, I analyzed Captain Juan Jaramillo’s account, one of Coronado’s chroniclers, and found that his descriptions fits the description of the area north of Ford. Jaramillo writes, ‘When they reached the said river (Arkansas), the Indian recognized it and said that was it, and that it was below the settlements. We crossed it there and went up the other side on the north, the direction turning toward the northeast.’ 2

"Notice here that Jaramillo’s account says that the expedition turned northeast as soon as they crossed the river on the north side of the bank. This fits the description of the area north of Ford. If the expedition (had) approached the Arkansas near Dodge City or the Fort Dodge area, then the party would be going southeast for 10 to 15 miles before they would approach the bend of the Arkansas.... Jaramillo’s account simply does not state this."

Although Tomc did not state this, his research then would indicate that the location of the Coronado Cross, the monument one mile east of Fort Dodge that commemorates the first Mass in the area by Father Padilla on June 29, 1541, is more symbolic than historically accurate. However, no archeological evidence from the Coronado expedition has been discovered in either area.

On the other hand, the Padilla Cross west of Lyons, has both archeological evidence and historic research to support this as the location of a Quivira village where Father Padilla evangelized the Indians. According to Tomc, this then bears great importance in establishing the site of Father Padilla’s martyrdom and burial.

After ministering to the Quivira Indians for several months, Father Padilla spoke of going to neighboring tribes to preach. The Indians protested because one such tribe, the Guas to the southeast, was an enemy of the Quivira.

"Historian and researcher Moto Padilla writes, ‘At more than a day’s journey, the Indians met him on the warpath, knowing the evil intent of those barbarians, he asked the Portuguese that as he was on horseback he should flee and under his protection the oblates and the lads who could thus run away and escape...’

"‘More than a day’s journey’ is a description that would place doubt on Council Grove and Herington as sites of Father Padilla’s martyrdom. Both communities have monuments commemorating this historic event. The Herington memorial was based on archaeological finds by Jacob V. Brower. The archaeological findings by Brower in 1896 establishes Quivira being located in the vicinity of Junction City, Alma, Manhattan and Logan Grove. Based on Waldo Wedel’s 1942 paper and expert statements from Kansas scholars Brower’s argument becomes invalid. 3

"Using Moto Padilla’s account," said Tomc, "one might be able to speculate that Father Padilla’s starting point before his martyrdom could be near the Malone site (the archeological site west of Lyons). We know that the average miles traveled by the expedition was 15 to 18 miles per day. Moto Padilla’s account of ‘more than a day’s journey’ roughly equates to 23 to 27 miles. This then may put Father Padilla in the Hutchinson area, if he traveled along the Arkansas River. If he traveled along the Little Arkansas River, this put him north of Newton.

"It is interesting to note that Bishop John Hennessy, (first bishop of Wichita), when returning from a trip to Rome in February 1905, stopped off at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., for the purpose of finding out where Father Padilla was martyred in Kansas. After a two-day review of records and maps, Bishop Hennessy was convinced that Father Padilla was martyred near Newton."

"Scholarship today places the center of Quivira in the area of Rice and McPherson counties. This supports Bishop Hennessy’s statement. What is remarkable is that in 1905, with no archeological evidence, Bishop Hennessy saw something at the Library of Congress that others missed or is no longer there. Personally, I think Father Padilla was martyred somewhere within in a 40 mile radius along one of the ancient Indian trails coming into the Newton area. Because his body was buried on the surface, covered with stones and open to the air, the bones would have disintegrated."

1. Udall, Stuart L. 1987. Majestic Journey: Coronado’s Inland Empire. Santa Fe Museum of New Mexico Press.

2. Winship, George P. 1896. The Coronado Expedition. Fourteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology pt. 1 339-598. Published by Dover Publications, Inc. New York: 1990.

3. Wedel, Waldo R. 1942. Archaeological remains in Central Kansas and their possible bearing on the location of Quivira. Smithsonian Collection Miscellaneous Collections 101 (no. 2)

Editor’s note: The third and final part of this series will appear in the Nov. 14th issue.