Francisco De Garay is a very misunderstood explorer. Most believe that Francisco is the one who found the Rio Grande in 1523 and explored the river. Francisco actually was the one who discovered the person who found the Soto la Marina River, which is actually 150 miles south of the Rio Grande. The misconception was that it was the river, not the Rio Grande, which was known as Rio de las Palmas in the 1500's.

Francisco De Garay's birth date is unknown but researches know that he died in 1523. Garay was a member of the second Columbus exhibition in 1943 and he planned to settle land. He was able to obtain his spot on the expedition because he was related to Diego Columbus's wife, Maria de Toleda, who was relations with King Ferdinand. The cause of Francisco's decision to leave is believed to have been related to a...