Beginning in the late 1980s, Morrison shifted subtly toward a modern demographic, as new business and residential owners brought new ideas and connections to urban areas in the east, and the town became more of a “bedroom community,” with most residents employed elsewhere. The Town Board wrestled with issues of growth, ensuring future water supplies, and coping with tourists and concert-goers as Red Rocks expanded its activity levels.
The large annexation of the “Colco Property,” approved in 1984, was controversial. Focus on planning, regional coordination, communication, and community increased; the town looked more to the future than to the past as “newcomers” outnumbered “old-timers.” Development of Dinosaur Ridge and the Morrison Natural History Museum brought new attention to the area during this period. In 2024, Morrison celebrated its Sesquicentennial, 150 years of small town survival.
Morrison History 