Coronado High School
Lubbock, Lubbock County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Opened in 1965. Named for Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, the Spanish explorer who, guided by an Indian known as "The Turk", traversed the Llano Estacado in search of the fabled "city" of Gran Quivira in 1541. The expedition wandered for many days through western Texas, possibly passing the vicinity of Lubbock. 1969
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Opened in 1965, Coronado High School takes its name from Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, the Spanish conquistador who in 1541 crossed the Llano Estacado in search of the fabled golden city of Quivira. Guided by a Plains Indian the Spanish called "The Turk," Coronado's expedition wandered for days through West Texas, perhaps passing near present-day Lubbock. The school's name ties a modern city to the first Europeans to traverse its high plains.
Why it matters
Coronado's 1541 trek was among the earliest European incursions into the American interior, a foundational—and fraught—encounter between Spanish explorers and the Indigenous peoples of the Southern Plains.
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Related people
- · Francisco Vásquez de Coronado
- · The Turk
Related events
- · Coronado Expedition
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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