How a Colorado mountain town survived a dam that was meant to drown it

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Ridgway, Colorado, is a former railroad hub that narrowly escaped being submerged by a federal reservoir project. Today, this resilient community serves as a creative hub and a gateway to the San Juan Mountains, famously producing the Grammy Award trophies while maintaining its rugged, small-town character in the high valley.

Incorporated in 1891, Ridgway was established as a vital railhead for the Rio Grande Southern Railroad to service the booming mining centers of Telluride and Ouray. Named after railroad superintendent Robert M. Ridgway, the town thrived as a shipping point for decades. However, the decline of the rail industry eventually led to the abandonment of local lines, with the final segment to Montrose closing in 1976 to make way for a new reservoir on the Uncompahgre River.

The town's survival is a point of local pride. In 1957, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation proposed the Dallas Creek Project, which originally intended to flood the town site entirely. A pivotal 1975 decision shifted the dam's location downstream, sparing the community and earning it the nickname, The Town that Refused to Die. The resulting Ridgway Reservoir now serves as a recreational centerpiece, offering a marina and beach that define the local culture during the summer months.

Beyond its history, Ridgway has cultivated a distinct identity as a center for the arts. In 2013, it achieved State-Certified Creative District designation, supported by the historic Sherbino theater—a building that has served as everything from a community center and roller rink to a film set for the original 1968 movie True Grit. Perhaps most surprisingly, the town is the exclusive production site for the Grammy Award trophies, which are hand-crafted from a unique alloy called grammium by local artisans.

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