By 1921 Gunnison and the surrounding environs had grown sufficiently to build a separate high school, a one-story brick facility erected on the east side of Main Street between the south of town and nearby Centerfield. The second half of the twentieth century ushered in similar improvements, including a new state prison facility built north of town. Gunnison's population has increased gradually since 1970, reaching 1,298 in 1990.

Many of Gunnison's historic sites and buildings are gone now, but several important ones remain, including the 1899 city hall, 1909 Gunnison Valley Bank (with a compatible addition), the 1921-23 high school, Hermansen's Roller Mills, the rare Beaux-Arts style Star Theatre, and many impressive residences. Considered together with the newer buildings, the town's architecture conveys a strong sense of the community's past and present.

Allen Roberts