Grand County, Colorado: History
When Grand County was created on February 2, 1874, it was carved out of Summit County and contained land to the western and northern borders of the state, which is in present-day Moffat County and Routt County. It was named after Grand Lake and the Grand River, an old name for the upper Colorado River, which has its headwaters in the county. On January 29, 1877, Routt County was created and Grand County shrank down to its current western boundary. When valuable minerals were found in North Park, Grand County claimed the area as part of its county, a claim Larimer County also held. It took a decision by the Colorado Supreme Court in 1886 to declare North Park part of Larimer County, setting Grand County's northern boundary.
In 2004, Marvin John Heemeyer, a local businessman from Granby, used a modified bulldozer to destroy parts of the town of Granby. This was after Heemeyer's lawsuit against the town alleging the government ruined his business was dismissed. His attack ended when one of the bulldozer tracks became inoperable and he committed suicide.