Coronado's Sword

Winfield Courier, May 18, 1882. D. A. MILLINGTON, EDITOR. ED. P. GREER, LOCAL EDITOR. But we want it distinctly understood that we shall publish whatever in our judgment ought to be published, even if we do have to make perambulating arsenals of ourselves. We have in our office an old rusty sword of Coronado=s time which has already done some execution in such cases, and we have many other instruments of torture. (Note - Later in the article we are given to believe that it was written by Millington. RKW)

The Winfield High School Senior class of 1924 wrote a history of Winfield. On page 1 they said; The story is told that in 1542 Coronado, in his search for the Seven Cities of Cibola, crossed the Walnut River at Kickapoo Ford and camped for several days where Baden’s Mill now stands. Broken arms and old utensils, among them an old rusty sword, have since been plowed up. Those lend to the belief that the story, although possibly exaggerated, may be true.

Frank D. Hills stated the following in a Courier newspaper article in 1933.

The early history of the beautiful Walnut River is wrapped in mystery and romance. Tradition has it that Coronado in 1542 crossed the Arkansas River southwest of what is now Winfield as well as the Walnut River at Kickapoo Ford, and camped at the spring where the Consolidated Mill (west end of 8th Street and the Walnut river) now stands. Broken arms and utensils, among them a rusty sword, have been uncovered there, evidence this tradition was not without foundation.

October 8, 1996. Mrs. Frankie Cullinson, curator of the Cowley County Museum, has heard the story of Coronado=s sword. She remembers reading some where of the sword and a piece of rusty chain mail.

I, Richard Kay Wortman, have heard this story while growing up in Winfield. The story about the sword also included rusty chain mail.