Paonia is named for the peony, with a vowel lost along the way

Paonia is one of the more unusual town names in Colorado, and the reason is a flower.

Samuel Wade, who helped settle the North Fork valley around 1880 and 1881, brought peony roots with him. When it came time to name the town, he suggested “Paeonia,” the Latin name for the peony. The post office did not want the extra vowel, so the name was trimmed to “Paonia.” The flower stayed; one letter did not.

Wade is also remembered for planting some of the first fruit trees in the valley, which helped start the North Fork on its long career as orchard and, later, vineyard country. The town was officially incorporated in 1902.

The name is a small clue to a bigger story. People came to the North Fork to grow things, and they were optimistic enough to name their town after a garden flower. If you are settling in the area, it is a nice piece of local history to know, and it explains why visitors sometimes mispronounce or misspell the name on first try.

The Town of Paonia tells its own founding story on its official history page.