The centennial of Grand Junction was a community wide celebration in June, 1982. There were parades, fireworks, concerts, picnics and a pageant in Lincoln Park with costumed citizen performers. This frisbee was one of the products to celebrate the centennial.
Also shown are shirts from bicycle and foot races of the decade.

The 1980s
 

Prospects looked dynamic in 1980, but the collapse of the oil shale industry in1982 lead to a drastic retrenchment. Nonetheless, Grand Junction celebrated its centennial with high spirits in 1982. The population had grown to 28,144 in 1980, a 39.5 percent jump from 1970.
 
  PEOPLE

Ted and Maxine Albers were King and Queen of the Grand Junction Centennial celebrations in June 1982. Both made an impact in many civic areas. Ted was president of Mesa College 1970-1974. Maxine was the first woman Mesa County Commissioner 1974-1989, serving five terms as chairman of the Board of County Commissioners.
(Judy Armstrong Photo)

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 COMMUNITY

Art on the Corner is an outdoor display of sculpture which originated in 1984. New selections are installed in the Downtown Shopping Park for a year, and a number of them have been bought for the permanent collection. The first purchase was Chrome on the Range II, a shiny metal buffalo which is a popular favorite, by sculptor Lou Wille.
(John Hedrick Photo)

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  BUSINESS

Mountains with layers of shale stone stretch from Colorado into Utah, and cross northern Mesa County. The shale has vast petroleum deposits imbedded, and in the late 1970s and early 1980s, billion dollar facilities were being built in adjacent Garfield County for shale oil extraction. Grand Junction boomed as a regional oil headquarters. A sudden drop in oil prices halted this, starting May 2, l982. Boom turned to bust, and the economy of this city and the whole area suffered.
(Adam Reeves Photo) 

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 EDUCATION

Not every student is geared toward standard schools and the school district formed the alternative R-5 High School. The curriculum offers more vocational courses and flexible hours, and has been very successful. It is in the former Lowell School, built in 1925. Student input lead to the name R-5, which stands for Readiness, Relevancy, Reinforcement, Responsibility and Respect.
(John Hedrick Photo)

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  AGRICULTURE

The agricultural conditions which ensure prime fruit in the Grand Valley, also produce premium grapes. In the 1980s, serious planting of vineyards for wine grapes began around Palisade, and wineries were established. Prize vintages are being developed, and the wineries also are a tourist attraction. Viticulture now is branching out to other areas of the Grand Valley.
(Photo taken at Grande River Vinyards, Palisade, Colorado, 1999, photo by Jack Dykinga.)

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  TRANSPORTATION

A new Walker Field air terminal and parking areas were opened December 15, l982. The terminal is in contemporary architecture, with solar heating features. Auxiliary businesses at the airport also have expanded with extensive airplane sales, maintenance, rebuilding, air charter, flight training and car rental. These enterprises employ hundreds.
(Debbie Hartlerode Photo)

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CULTURE

In the late 1940s, the Avalon Theatre had its facade remade in a simple, modern mode during a radical interior and exterior remodeling. It was renamed the Cooper. The facade has been rebuilt in its original style. This 1996 photo shows the restored Avalon with its new/old face. Other downtown buildings also are being restored to their historic appearance.
(Al Hosier Photo)

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  RECREATION

Our Colorado Riverfront was an overlooked asset. The Grand Junction/Mesa County Riverfront Commission was formed in 1987. Pat Gormley (l) and Governor Roy Romer (r) are shown explaining the plans. Local funds, state lottery and State Parks Board grants, and volunteer labor have cleaned and transformed the river landscape. Parkland and trails, lakes and wildlife habitat, the Botanical Society and its gardens now grace the shores and islands of the Colorado River.
(The Daily Sentinel)

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