This sundial is found in Centennial Park along Main Street and 8th in Carbondale, Colorado. The equatorial sundial includes a chart to correct time to Mountain Standard Time (not Daylight Savings, but standard time) per month to allow for the particularities of Earth's orbit during various months. The sundial was created by William Perry.
"As one enters this valley from the junction of the Crystal and Roaring Fork rivers today, awed by the beauty of the magnificent mountain to the south (Mt. Sopris) so too did Colorado’s First People, the Northern Ute Nation; albeit many thousands of years ago.
Northern Utes were a migratory Native American tribe. Today, we would call them “snowbirds,” leaving their mountain homelands here for warmer climes in the winter.
Due to centuries of following Nature’s natural course with minimal impacts on the land, the first white settlers to this Valley assumed that it was “uninhabited” and theirs for the taking as soon as statehood was achieved in 1876.
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 1880, the Northern Utes were forced out of this valley to a reservation in Ft. Duchesne, Utah 500 miles away, where they live to this day.
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. William Dinkle and R.W. Zimmerman filed the first land claims and opened a small store. Carbondale became a depot of the newly developed railroad in 1887, and mining, railroad construction and farming attracted a steady stream of new residents. This began the cycle of economic spurts and downturns tied to both the national and regional economies. 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. Although the report he filed was largely negative, his legacy remains in the geographical dominance of the mountain bearing his name.
When mining and railroading suffered a setback from the silver panic of 1893, the growth of Carbondale slowed to a near halt. The turn of the century saw the growth of potato farming, and the community stabilized and prospered. Potato Day, the longest standing annual community event, began with a celebration of the potato harvest in 1909.
The depression of the 1930's saw the Town bank move to Glenwood Springs, the closing of the railroad, and a gradual decline in population. The 1940's and 1950's were a transition period for the community, with the further diversification of the economy from agriculture to mining and ranching resulting in a healthier economy. The residents fared comfortably during this time.
The growth of Aspen as a world-class resort during the 1960's began to have a major impact on the lower Roaring Fork Valley and Carbondale. Despite some 30 miles of separation, Aspen's prosperity brought dramatic changes. Tourism became the driving economic force in the region, property values soared, and the influx of people into the area intensified In the late 1970's Carbondale found itself confronted with rapid change. Ranching and agriculture were of declining economic importance to the area. The population continued to grow, notable additions included the increased number of retired folks and many young families as well.
The growth of the population in the late 1970's brought with it an expansion of the retail, wholesale and service establishments in the community. The oil crisis of the late 1970's sparked initiative to secure sources of alternative fuels, including heightened interest in the development of oil shale reserves in western Garfield County. Property values soared and building increased significantly both in Carbondale and Garfield County as a whole. Oil shale development then collapsed completely in 1982, culminating in the closure of the Exxon facility outside of Parachute in May of that year.
Although the community saw little significant population growth in the years from 1983 to 1987, there was renewed enthusiasm for the physical development of the Town. A shopping center was developed at the State Highway 133/Main Street intersection, and efforts to promote tourism and economic development proceeded. A new, centrally located post office was opened in 1987. A senior citizen housing committee was selected, purchasing a site for low-income senior housing, and funding was obtained for construction. A 60-bed nursing home was completed. The Rocky Mountain Institute led a pilot program called Pioneer Project, aimed at community-based economic development
The early 1990's ushered in the most dramatic physical and socio-economic change to affect the Carbondale area since the decline of mining and oil shale in the Valley. Suddenly, the lower Roaring Fork Valley was feeling the development pressure not yet seen in the area, including Aspen Glen and River Valley Ranch. The community began to feel the strain of property value appreciation, and began an unprecedented growth cycle that has continued.
Only recently have the Northern Utes been welcomed back to their homeland by a collective of local residents wishing to re-connect and learn of the indigenous ways inherent to this Valley’s natural abundance.
Through all the economic cycles of booms and busts, the Town of Carbondale has developed, and continues to promote, a sense of community that is unmatched when compared to other communities experiencing heightened rates of change. This sense of community has manifested itself in the promotion of the artist's community, public radio, community gatherings and events, and a tolerance for accepting a wide range of economic, social and philosophical viewpoints into the community fabric. The Carbondale Council for Arts and Humanities, KDNK Public Radio, the Mountain Fair, Mount Sopris Nordic Council, Potato Day Celebration, and the Festival Las Americas are all examples of the vibrant sense of community connection." (from (
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