Gypsum, Colorado

A Brief History of Gypsum

Gypsum grew from settlement in the early 1880s, when homesteaders established ranches and irrigated farms along Gypsum Creek. The community took its name from nearby mineral deposits. A town plat recorded in December 1890 laid out streets and lots, while railroad traffic encouraged hotels, stores and other services in what became Old Town. A high school opened in 1910, and the town incorporated in 1911. Later highway construction and the expansion of the upper Eagle Valley’s resort economy brought residential growth, adding a new chapter to a community rooted in agriculture and transportation.