The town of Paonia is situated in the fertile North Fork Valley of the Gunnison River, territory that was once the hunting grounds of the Ute Indians before their removal in 1882. When the region was opened for settlement by Anglos, the first arrivals brought apple trees and peonies. From those first plants, the region became a vibrant orchard area; Paonia peaches won top prize at the 1893 World’s Fair and exceptional fruit is still produced here. The peony gave the town its name. The story goes that Samuel Wade, postmaster, submitted the Latin name “Paeonia” for the name of the post office but the government decided there were too many vowels in the name so they shortened it to “Paonia”.

Coal was discovered nearby in the West Elk Mountains, which were called the Fire Mountains by the Ute Indians. The coal from those mines is considered the most clean-burning coal produced in the country. Now coal production is in jeopardy, but both coal and agriculture have been the backbone of the local economy for more than 100 years. Both endeavors are memorialized in the town park, where the statue of a coal miner stands next to peonies descended from Wade’s peony roots.