About

When gold and silver were discovered near Aspen in 1879, droves of prospectors poured into the upper Roaring Fork Valley to settle and establish mining claims, and the rich and fertile river-bottom land in Carbondale was coveted by hunters and farmers wishing to supply food to the mining boom towns.

By 1881, twenty families had moved to the valley. These early settlers started cattle and sheep ranches and began growing potatoes, which for over 50 years was the mainstay crop of the Carbondale economy. The town was incorporated on January 31, 1888 and was named in honor of Carbondale, Pennsylvania, the original home of some of these early settlers. During this period, Richard Sopris led an expedition into the valley to explore the potential for precious metals and minerals in the region. His legacy remains in the geographical dominance of the mountain bearing his name.