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Father Juan de Padilla |
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Father Juan de Padilla |
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In 1540 Francisco Vasquez de Coronado marched north from Mexico with 300 Spaniards in search of the "Seven Golden Cities of Cibola." With them were several priests, including Juan de Padilla, a Franciscan friar. When the golden cities proved to be only adobe pueblos the Spaniards went on to ex- plore the Southwest and Padilla was among those who dis- covered the Grand Canyon. Later he marched with a party of 30 picked horsemen to the land of Quivira in Kansas. For 25 days in the summer of 1541 Coronado remained among the grass-hut villages of the Quiviran Indians, then returned to New Mexico. Padilla went with him, but the following year came back as a missionary. Here he was later killed by the Indians, the first Christian martyr in what is now the United States. Although the exact place of his death is un- known there is a monument to Padilla in City Park in Herington. Erected by Kansas Historical Society and State Highway Commission |
Monument in City Park |
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Historical marker on US 77 |
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