How One Colorado Town Took On It's Legendary Name

Which town is older, Grand Junction or Montrose? Which one would you pick without using Google? Believe it or not, Montrose is the older of the two locations by just a couple of months.

Montrose, Colorado was founded on May 1st, 1882. The town began as a supply site for nearby mining operations in the San Juan mountains, but its name dates back to the mid-seventeenth century.

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Montrose, Colorado Founders

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Joseph Selig was born in Germany in 1850. By 1881 he had immigrated to Colorado to form the Joseph Selig & Company firm. According to the Montrose Historical Museum, networking with other Western Slope settlers helped Selig learn that the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad had plans to extend their line west from Gunnison, Colorado, into the Uncompahgre Valley. The first townsite stake for what would be Montrose, Colorado was driven in December of 1881.

Before It Was Montrose

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By 1882 the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Co had linked up with Montrose, and by 1890 the D&RGRR was complete from Denver to Grand Junction. The valley's soil proved to be well-suited for fruits, grains, vegetables, and for raising livestock. The townsite continued to grow. According to CityofMontrose.org, early names for the town included Pomona, Dad’s Town, and Uncompahgre Town.

Sir Walter Scott’s Novel, A Legend of Montrose

https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Montrose-Sir-Walter-Scott/dp/1979233179

When Joseph Selig convinced others to consider changing the name of the settlement from Pomona to Montrose, one of his main sources of inspiration was the 1819 novel "A Legend of Montrose" by Sir Walter Scott. The book highlights the Wars of the Three Kingdoms in the 1640s, and the Scottish campaigns of James Graham, the 1st Marquis of Montrose. A Royalist commander loyal to King Charles I, Montrose is portrayed as a heroic leader whose military brilliance and loyalty shine.

KEEP GOING: The Historical Montrose Potato Growers Building

This building from 1908 stands as a monument of the agricultural movement that dominated the Western Slope. The Montrose Potato Growers Building has kept its integrity and is now being restored.

Gallery Credit: Toni Gee, TSM

LOOK: All the Places You Can Standup Paddle Board Around Montrose Colorado

Looking for places in Montrose to get out and paddle? Stand Up Paddleboards are a fun way to enjoy the sunshine and blue skies over western Colorado. While water levels will be highest early in the season, it is possible that some reservoirs dry up by the late summer.

If you are in Montrose and want to SUP, here are several options for getting out on the water.

Gallery Credit: Wes Adams

UP NEXT: Thirteen Cool Facts About Colorado’s Uncompahgre River

Western Colorado is home to the Colorado River, the Gunnison River, and the Uncompahgre River. As the smallest of the three, most people aren't as familiar with this important waterway serving Ridgway, Montrose, and Delta. Keep going to learn thirteen cool facts about the Uncompahgre River in western Colorado.

Gallery Credit: Wesley Adams