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Usage: Gypsum is a mountain town in Eagle County.
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Pronunciation: “jip-sum”
Word Origin: Latin, for chalk
Namesake: Gypsum is a mineral used as a plaster in drywall. Coincidentally, it is found throughout Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region, including (you guessed it) Eagle County. Today, a wallboard plant still gathers the area’s gypsum.
From the Archives: “Would it surprise you to wake up some morning and find the town of Gypsum a booming mining camp? Well it won’t be long until this will be in evidence. The much despised, much cursed, gypsum of the valley from which it takes its name will soon be a mineral product of Eagle County.” —Eagle Valley Enterprise, Friday, November 10, 1905
Local’s Take: “The town of Gypsum was incorporated in 1911. From 1911 to 1990 you had to wonder why the town was called Gypsum. Then they built the wallboard plant, which kind of lends credibility to the name.” —Gypsum town manager, Jeff Shroll
Local historian and archivist for the Eagle Library District, Jaci Spuhler, provided histrical information for this piece.