Francisco Coronado was one of the great Spanish explorers.  He was actually the govenor of some of the Spanish settlements in the Southwest.  He was the leader of the army that fought for Mexico aganinst the Aztecian army.
     He also was absessed with gold!  He got word of the "Seven Cities of Gold" and sent out several expeditons to the Southwestern United States in search of the story.  He went up the Colorado River, the Rio Grande and search around the Grand Canyon.  His expeditions searched most of present-day New Mexico and Arizona.