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Show PREFACE The Dominguez-Escalante State-Federal Bicentennial Committee was organized in November 1973. In the spirit of the Founding Fathers, the committee members adopted a compact stating that their purpose was To commemorate the 1776 Dominguez-Escalante Expedition as a major feature of the Bicentennial of the American Revolution in New rexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona through cooperative State/Federal planning and imple mentation. This historic 1776 Spanish expedition was a major contribution to the exploration of the American Southwest, which increased available geographic know ledge leading directly to the later development of the Old Spanish Trail(s) linking the Spanish settlements. The Dominguez-Escalante Expedition was coincident with the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution in the Eastern Section of the new Nation, whose side was soon to be joined by Spain as an Impor-tant contributing ally in the struggle 'for independence. Representatives from the State Bicentennial Commissions of New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona, from federal agencies .administering properties within the region, state historical societies and tourism interests, and from the private sector pursued their objective of a coordinated commemoration and celebration of that historic 1776 expedi ti on. $65,000 grant from the Four Corners Regional Commission, The Dominguez-Escalante State-Federal Bicentennial Committe, under the research chairmanship of t1r. W.L. Rusho, contracted with the Utah State Under the direction Historical Society for a $25,000 research program. been has that completed resulting in a of Dr. David E. Miller, project covered route exact by the padres. The research definitive report of the of the ati on 1 trans new a padres "Jouma 1" by grant also sponsored Fe. This Santa Chavez of popular historical document,. Fray Angelico J. Ted Dr. larner, is scheduled for and with footnoting editing by in the Spring of 1976. Press publication by Brigham Young University With a I Dominguez-Escalante State-Federal Bicentennial Committee also con tracted with Architects/Planners Alliance for a master interpretive plan, submitted herewith. It is intended that this plan will give unity to the variety of commemorative efforts anticipated by many agencies and groups. the This·plan will also prove useful to those people participating in to is scheduled which Dominguez-Escalante Bicentennial Expedition after the depart Santa Fe, July 29, 1976, exactly two hundred years of the that follow will closely padres. Their route and itinerary ori gi na 1 trek. i |
