A Brief History of Parachute
Parachute incorporated in 1908 under the name Grand Valley, returning to the Parachute name in the 1980s. Agriculture shaped its early economy: crops grown on nearby Battlement Mesa were brought to the railroad in town for shipment to processors and markets. Energy development later transformed the area. The Colony oil-shale project expanded in 1980, bringing workers and new housing to the valley. Exxon’s decision to halt construction in 1982 caused major layoffs. The town’s older history survives in buildings such as Wasson-McKay Place, a home built around 1902 and listed on the National Register in 2010.