Paonia, Colorado
Encyclopedia
The Town of Paonia is a Statutory Town in Delta County
, Colorado
, United States
. The population was 1,497 at the 2000 census
.
of the United States Army. Gunnison was on an expedition to locate a suitable pass through the Rocky Mountains for the Topographical Engineers.
The North Fork Valley was inhabited by Ute Indians
until 1880, when the Ute Indian Reservation was closed by the federal government following the infamous Meeker Massacre.
Following the closure of the reservation, the site itself was settled in 1880 by Samuel Wade and William Clark, who had accompanied Enos Hotchkiss to the area. The town was officially incorporated in 1902 and had its first election in July of that year. The peony roots that Samuel Wade brought with him to Colorado in 1881 inspired him to submit the Latin name for peony, "Paeonia" as a town name. The post office wouldn't allow the extra vowel, so Paeonia became Paonia. The full name of the flower: "Paeonia mascula"
The town is situated on the North Fork River
, about 10 miles up from neighboring Hotchkiss, Colorado
. It lies near the head of the North Fork Valley, an area about 150 miles southwest of Denver, Colorado's capital. The valley lies at the foot of Mount Lamborn
(peak elevation 11,397) and the Grand Mesa
. This valley forms the North fork of the Gunnison River watershed.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 1,497 people, 631 households, and 393 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,972.2 people per square mile (760.5/km²). There were 705 housing units at an average density of 928.8 per square mile (358.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.46% White, 0.07% African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 1.74% from other races
, and 1.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.48% of the population.
There were 631 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples
living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 21.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,831, and the median income for a family was $40,170. Males had a median income of $35,962 versus $17,500 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $16,033. About 9.7% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.4% of those under age 18 and 15.9% of those age 65 or over.
a few miles from the town. The valley's principal coal mines are Oxbow Mining's Elk creek mine, Arch Coal's
West Elk Mine, and a mine run by Bowie Resources. Bucyrus International
, the leading supplier of underground coal mining equipment, operates a small warehouse in Paonia for support of the underground longwall systems that are operating in the North Fork valley. Union Pacific provides service to the Bowie #2 Mine, loading-up 100 car trains in two hours.
, is based in Paonia. High Country News reports on the Western US, and is focused on the environment, land use, and public lands issues.
Community radio station KVNF
was founded in Paonia and continues to have studios in downtown Paonia. KVNF also now serves a number of towns in the North Fork and Uncompagre Valleys in Western Colorado through a network of stations and translators.
Paonia does not have a local newspaper. It is served by The North Fork Times, formerly an independent paper and now a section in the Delta County Independent. The area is also served by the monthly North Fork Merchant Herald, published in nearby Hotchkiss. The Mountain Valley News (mountainvalleynews.net)has become an important weekly, which routinely covers events and news in the North Fork Valley. An ad paper, the High Country Shopper, owned by Advantage Holdings, Inc. the same company that owns MVN. The Shopper gives some insight into the community through its display and classified advertising.
is a 3 day event in downtown Paonia held during the last weekend of September. There are over 20 musical acts, poetry, an art show, a chili cook off, a street dance, crafts, wine tasting, as well as classes on canning, raising livestock and sustainable living.
motorcycle enthusiasts, who descend upon the town in mid-summer and stay for several days.
was held at nearby Overland Reservoir. An estimated 18,275 people converged on the site and lived in temporary dwellings for the summer. Although the reservoir is 27 miles from Paonia, it had a significant impact on all the towns in the North Fork Valley, including Paonia. Many "New Agers" and members of the psychedelic community continue to reside in and around Paonia, which was the boyhood home of one of the voices and key figures of "ecstatic state" knowledge, Terence McKenna
.
Delta County, Colorado
Delta County is the 17th most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 27,834 in the 2000 U.S. Census. The county seat is the City of Delta...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,497 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
History
The area was first explored in 1853 by Captain John W. GunnisonJohn W. Gunnison
John Williams Gunnison was an American military officer and explorer.-Biography:Gunnison was born in Goshen, New Hampshire in 1812. He graduated from West Point in 1837, second in his class of fifty cadets. His military career began in Florida, where he spent a year in the campaign against the...
of the United States Army. Gunnison was on an expedition to locate a suitable pass through the Rocky Mountains for the Topographical Engineers.
The North Fork Valley was inhabited by Ute Indians
Ute Tribe
The Ute are an American Indian people now living primarily in Utah and Colorado. There are three Ute tribal reservations: Uintah-Ouray in northeastern Utah ; Southern Ute in Colorado ; and Ute Mountain which primarily lies in Colorado, but extends to Utah and New Mexico . The name of the state of...
until 1880, when the Ute Indian Reservation was closed by the federal government following the infamous Meeker Massacre.
Following the closure of the reservation, the site itself was settled in 1880 by Samuel Wade and William Clark, who had accompanied Enos Hotchkiss to the area. The town was officially incorporated in 1902 and had its first election in July of that year. The peony roots that Samuel Wade brought with him to Colorado in 1881 inspired him to submit the Latin name for peony, "Paeonia" as a town name. The post office wouldn't allow the extra vowel, so Paeonia became Paonia. The full name of the flower: "Paeonia mascula"
Geography
Paonia is located at 38.867630°N 107.592579°W.The town is situated on the North Fork River
North Fork Gunnison River
The North Fork Gunnison River is a tributary of the Gunnison River, long, in southwestern Colorado in the United States. It drains part of the southwestern flank of the Elk Mountains northeast of Delta....
, about 10 miles up from neighboring Hotchkiss, Colorado
Hotchkiss, Colorado
Hotchkiss is a Statutory Town in Delta County, Colorado, United States. The population was 968 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hotchkiss is located at ....
. It lies near the head of the North Fork Valley, an area about 150 miles southwest of Denver, Colorado's capital. The valley lies at the foot of Mount Lamborn
Mount Lamborn
Mount Lamborn is a peak in the West Elk Mountains of the US State of Colorado, located about 6 mi southeast of the town of Paonia in the Gunnison National Forest. It is the highest point in Delta County...
(peak elevation 11,397) and the Grand Mesa
Grand Mesa
The Grand Mesa is a large mesa in western Colorado in the United States. It has an area of about and stretches for about east of Grand Junction between the Colorado River and the Gunnison River, its tributary to the south. The north side of the mesa is drained largely by Plateau Creek, a...
. This valley forms the North fork of the Gunnison River watershed.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,497 people, 631 households, and 393 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,972.2 people per square mile (760.5/km²). There were 705 housing units at an average density of 928.8 per square mile (358.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.46% White, 0.07% African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 1.74% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.48% of the population.
There were 631 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 21.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,831, and the median income for a family was $40,170. Males had a median income of $35,962 versus $17,500 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $16,033. About 9.7% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.4% of those under age 18 and 15.9% of those age 65 or over.
Coal mining
A substantial portion of Paonia's residents are employed in one of several coal mines located near SomersetSomerset, Colorado
Somerset is an unincorporated mining town town and a U.S. Post Office located in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. The Somerset Post Office has the ZIP Code 81434.- Geography :Somerset is located at ....
a few miles from the town. The valley's principal coal mines are Oxbow Mining's Elk creek mine, Arch Coal's
Arch Coal
Arch Coal is an American coal mining and processing company. The company mines, processes, and markets bituminous and sub-bituminous coal with low sulfur content in the United States. Arch Coal is the second largest supplier of coal in the U.S. behind Peabody Energy. The company supplies 16% of...
West Elk Mine, and a mine run by Bowie Resources. Bucyrus International
Bucyrus International
Bucyrus International, Inc. , was an American surface and underground mining equipment company. Founded as Bucyrus Foundry and Manufacturing Company in Bucyrus, Ohio, in 1880, Bucyrus moved company headquarters to South Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1893. In its early history, Bucyrus produced steam...
, the leading supplier of underground coal mining equipment, operates a small warehouse in Paonia for support of the underground longwall systems that are operating in the North Fork valley. Union Pacific provides service to the Bowie #2 Mine, loading-up 100 car trains in two hours.
Fruit growing
The area around Paonia is known for its orchards such as first fruits, which produce excellent peaches, apples, cherries, and other fruits. In addition, several vineyards and wineries have recently been established in the area.Media
The noted Western newspaper, High Country NewsHigh Country News
High Country News is a twice-monthly magazine published in Paonia, Colorado that primarily focuses on public policy, environmental issues, and culture in the Western United States. Founded in 1970 in Wyoming by rancher and environmentalist, Tom Bell, High Country News is a non-profit 501 corporation...
, is based in Paonia. High Country News reports on the Western US, and is focused on the environment, land use, and public lands issues.
Community radio station KVNF
KVNF
KVNF , is a National Public Radio-affiliated community radio station in Paonia, Colorado. It features locally-hosted music programming, independently-produced public radio programs, local news and interviews, as well as National Public Radio programming. KVNF also offers "Democracy Now" programming...
was founded in Paonia and continues to have studios in downtown Paonia. KVNF also now serves a number of towns in the North Fork and Uncompagre Valleys in Western Colorado through a network of stations and translators.
Paonia does not have a local newspaper. It is served by The North Fork Times, formerly an independent paper and now a section in the Delta County Independent. The area is also served by the monthly North Fork Merchant Herald, published in nearby Hotchkiss. The Mountain Valley News (mountainvalleynews.net)has become an important weekly, which routinely covers events and news in the North Fork Valley. An ad paper, the High Country Shopper, owned by Advantage Holdings, Inc. the same company that owns MVN. The Shopper gives some insight into the community through its display and classified advertising.
Cherry Days
Paonia celebrates its "Cherry Days" festival annually on the week of July 4. It features parades, a carnival, games, arts and crafts and musical performances.Mountain Harvest Festival
The Mountain Harvest FestivalMountain Harvest Festival
The Mountain Harvest Festival is a 3 day event in downtown Paonia, Colorado held during the last weekend of September. There are musical acts, poetry, an art show, a chili cook off, a street dance, crafts, wine tasting, as well as classes on canning, raising livestock and sustainable...
is a 3 day event in downtown Paonia held during the last weekend of September. There are over 20 musical acts, poetry, an art show, a chili cook off, a street dance, crafts, wine tasting, as well as classes on canning, raising livestock and sustainable living.
BMW rally
Paonia usually hosts an annual rally for BMWBMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
motorcycle enthusiasts, who descend upon the town in mid-summer and stay for several days.
Dreamtime Festival
The annual Dreamtime Festival has been hosted annually just outside of Paonia since 2002. Dreamtime combines live performances and music with educational workshops, theme camps and art installations. This fusion includes dancing, interactive sculptures, costumes, fire performances, theater, multimedia, creative fashion shows, DJs, a myriad of workshops, movement classes, healing camps, acoustic stages, and the inspired contributions of participants.Rainbow Gathering
In 1992 the annual Rainbow GatheringRainbow Gathering
Rainbow Gatherings are temporary intentional communities, typically held in outdoor settings, and espousing and practicing ideals of peace, love, harmony, freedom and community, as a consciously expressed alternative to mainstream popular culture, consumerism, capitalism and mass media.Rainbow...
was held at nearby Overland Reservoir. An estimated 18,275 people converged on the site and lived in temporary dwellings for the summer. Although the reservoir is 27 miles from Paonia, it had a significant impact on all the towns in the North Fork Valley, including Paonia. Many "New Agers" and members of the psychedelic community continue to reside in and around Paonia, which was the boyhood home of one of the voices and key figures of "ecstatic state" knowledge, Terence McKenna
Terence McKenna
Terence Kemp McKenna was an Irish-American philosopher, psychonaut, researcher, teacher, lecturer and writer on many subjects, such as human consciousness, language, psychedelic drugs, the evolution of civilizations, the origin and end of the universe, alchemy, and extraterrestrial beings.-Early...
.
See also
- Colorado municipalitiesColorado municipalitiesThe U.S. state of Colorado currently has 271 active incorporated municipalities, including 196 towns, 73 cities, and two consolidated city and county governments.-Municipal government:...
- List of cities and towns in Colorado
- List of counties in Colorado