Escalante's Diary

Escalante's Diary. . , In 1975, the North Fork Historical Society erected six markers along the route of the Dominguez-Escalante Expedition through upper Delta County. These handsomely-routed wood signs designate the route as the “Escalante-Dominguez Expedition.” Indeed, it has been Escalante who has achieved more widespread fame. Twenty-six-year-old Escalante was the pastor of the Zuni Mission. Dominguez at thirty-six was the head of all Franciscan missions in New Mexico. Dominguez was the official leader of the expedition; yet, because he suffered from illness at several points in the journey, he allowed the younger and more energetic Escalante to take an active leadership role. , Perhaps more significantly, because he wrote a meticulously-kept diary of the journey, Escalante's name has been far more widely associated with the trek, suggesting that those who write of an incident, even if they do so with the Franciscan humility of Escalante, are apt to achieve a greater historical recognition. Escalante's diary contains a vivid description of the American West in 1776 and of the hardships and uncertainties of travelling through unexplored territories.