Grand Junction, possibly named for the junction of the rivers including Colorado, Delores and Gunnison rivers, Green river to the east and White river to the northwest. Interesting the use of term Grand, as in Grand Mesa... 360,000 acres of flat top mesa, largest in the world, and home to 280 natural lakes as well as many man made ones. I lived in Paonia for a time, about 20 miles from the north rim of the canyon. The old road is under Blue Mesa, Morrow Point and Crystal resevoirs. Coronado had a hard time going north with all the canyons in his search for the 7 cities of gold, and Brigham Young and the mormons nearly perished before they crawled out “hole in the wall” at Lake Powell area... interesting history.
“Green River to the WEST”...sorry