Exhibits -- Museums of Western Colorado · Items

2015

Palisade Historical Society celebrates 100th birthday of the dedication of the Grand River Diversion Dam on June 27 to call attention to the vital roll irrigation plays to our life in the Grand Valley. A crowd of 500 enjoys speeches, including from Congressman Scott Tipton, Bill Fitzgerald, great grand nephew of Wayne N. Aspinall, and others. Three birthday cakes were cut by Dorothy Carver Hines, who grew up at the Roller Dam, as her father was caretaker for 33 of the Dam's 100 years. There was also a "Dam art show" with 43 "roller dam" centric entries, documentaries, videos, and information booths. Music throughout the day-long celebration featured Jeanie Thomas, Bookcliff Barbershop Chorus, and Way Down Yonder bluegrass band.

2014

<ul> <li>The Palisade Tribune ceases publishing March 13 by the owners of The Daily Sentinel.</li> <li>Palisade Historical Society volunteers work for months to save remaining original papers and begin lengthy process to digitize and make papers searchable and on line.</li> <li>Legislation introduced to make Palisade Peaches official State Fruit fails to make it out of committee, due to pressure from Eastern Slope cantaloupe growers.</li> </ul>

2013

<ul> <li>Palisade Fire Department relocates to remodeled annex of the 1925 school on 8th Street.</li> <li>Wineries are the biggest tourist attraction in the Grand Valley. Palisade has 19 of the 25 wineries in the area.</li> <li>Colorado River Salinity Control Program Complete. 94 percent of all irrigated fields in the Grand Valley have salinity improvements</li> </ul>

2011

Palisade Library relocates to former Independent Lumber Company office building on Main Street.

2010

Palisade Historical Society incorporates as a non-profit organization in March.

Community

The community is devastated when The Palisade Tribune, the newspaper of record since June 6, 1903, ceased publishing March 13, 2014. Palisade Historical Society volunteers sifted through the building's contents to find and preserve original copies of the newspaper for reference and future digitizing. By August 2017, the Historical Society raised funds to get 1,707 issues digitized-over half the issues ever published from 1903 to 1966-added to the Colorado Historic Newspaper Database for online research.

Agriculture

Nick is a 4th grade student at Denver Public School Amos Steck Elementary who founded Colorado for the Palisade Peach in an unsuccessful attempt to designate Palisade Peaches as the state fruit.

The 2010s

Palisade's newspaper of record,The Palisade Tribune, is sold to the publishers ofThe Daily Sentinel in 2012. Two years later, in March 2014, the Tribune ceases to be printed. The community suffers from having no local news source. Palisade Historical Society negotiates for the archival newspapers in the building and then fundraises to get as many issues of the newspaper, beginning with the June 6, 1903 issue, digitized and available for research on the Colorado Historic Newspaper Collection website. Palisade has the only Medical marijuana outlet in Mesa County and voters approve retail marijuana stores in the November 2016 election. In addition to expanding into retail by the Medical Marijuana store, two more retail stores are authorized to sell marijuana by the Town Board. Wineries continue to be a big attraction, though record peach crops continue to make Palisade a destination for tourists and locals. New crops grown in Palisade include lavender and hops.

2007

<ul> <li>Memorial to Wayne N. Aspinall (1896-1983) is dedicated in Palisade Park</li> <li>Town creates a plaza out of the parking lot on Main Street, once part of the site of Jordan's Inn which burned in 1915</li> </ul>

2004

Town of Palisade celebrates its Centennial.

2001

Palisade Library moves from Municipal Building to an annex of the 1925 Palisade High School building as requested by the Town.

1999

Last operating coal mine, Powderhorn/Roadside Mine closes in December.

1998

Riverbend Park opens, located between former CCC & Migrant Labor Camps. Peach Festivals have been held here since 2003.

1996

Trees Lights Concrete (TLC) project complete. Local businesses, the Town of Palisade, and private contributions raise $93,000 to plant trees, install new lights and replace non-ADA compliant concrete sidewalks in downtown Palisade

Education

Courtesy of Kaylan Robinson

Community

After the new high school on G Road west of Palisade opens in 1992, this building is used for other classes, including for sixth graders, and as an alternative high school. It is later purchased by the Town of Palisade. Courtesy of Granat Family

The 1990s

A group of parents successfully obtain special financing through the Underwood Amendment to build a new Palisade High School west of Palisade on G Road. The Chamber of Commerce and Town of Palisade successfully raise funds for a downtown improvement project which includes planting trees, replacing curb sidewalks with ADA compliant sloping sidewalks, new street lights and an information kiosk and gazebo. The blinking traffic light at 3rd and Main Streets is replaced by stop signs. Though fruit growing continues, more grapes are planted and more wineries open, which increases tourism.

1989

<ul> <li> Severe winter damages fruit and wine grape crops. </li> <li> Doug Phillips and Eric Bruner who opened Plum Creek Cellars in Larkspur in 1984. move their winery to Palisade. </li> </ul>

1985

Bill Floryancic is voted first "Town Grouch."

1984

Public law 95-569 amended Title II provisions to authorize Colorado River Salinity Control.

1981

Jim Sewald opens Palisade's first winery, Colorado Mountain Vineyards.

Education

Mt. Garfield Middle School built on Highway 6 about two miles west of Palisade. Courtesy of Kaylan Robinson

Culture

Ruth Phillips adjusts paintings at the 1985 Palisade Art Lovers art show in the Community Center Courtesy of Palisade Art Lovers (PALS)

Business

Mary and Parker Carlson began Carlson Vineyards in 1988. It was the second winery in Palisade. Courtesy of Carlson Vineyards

Agriculture

Colorado Governor Roy Romer was there being interviewed as the Denver Broncos football team was in London to play an exhibition game with the Los Angeles Rams. Courtesy of Loyd Files Research Library, Museums of Western Colorado, Peach Board of Control Collection