Quivira is a place named by Spanish conquistador Francisco Vásquez de Coronado in 1541, for the mythical Seven Cities of Gold that he never found. The location of Quivira is believed by most authorities to be in central Kansas near present-day Lyons extending northeast to Salina.

What does the word Quivira means?

kĭ-vîrə, kē-vērä A legendary city of fabulous wealth sought by Francisco de Coronado and thought to be located near what is now the city of Great Bend in central Kansas.

What was Quivira in reality?

Quivira and various other illusory golden realms were the products of the mythic imaginary West. Mistaken geographical theory, a thirst for gold, and the utopian dream of friars to convert the Indians made for the invention of America before reality intruded.