A Snapshot Of The Grand Valley’s History
Some of us have lived in the Grand Valley for a long time, some of us all of our lives, but I bet there are things you didn't know about this place, so let's take a look at a page from Grand Junction's history.
Grand Junction and, indeed, the Grand Valley, was a part of the kingdom of Spain until 1821 and so the region saw quite a few Mexican and Spanish explorers, priests and soldiers rummaging through the state, looking for gold or trails and just trying to survive. Many did not.
The Ute tribe was also settling into the area and had many run ins with the Spanish, some of which were memorialized on cave drawings that still exist in the area.
Many of the items found from this time period can be found at the Museums of Western Colorado.
Many of the "mountain men" living and trapping in the area were instrumental in helping the US government settle and survey the area. Famous explorers like Kit Carson, John Charles Fremont and Captain John Gunnison spent time in the 1840's and 50's in the area.
The City of Grand Junction was incorporated in 1882. Mesa County followed the following year, and Grand Junction was established as the county seat. By 1885, Grand Junction had over 800 residents, although the official count was considerably lower.
Slowly but surely, all the wonderful things the area have to offer became known, and the area was settled. The Grand Junction you see now has a long and thriving history, built on the backs of the brave pioneers who settled it.