Charles Budd, oldest son of the founder of nearby Big Piney (Dan Budd) founded Marbleton about a mile uphill from Big Piney. Big Piney had a drainage problem and Charles thought somewhere above all the water would be helpful. However, not everyone liked the idea of moving up the hill and the two towns have enjoyed a bit of rivalry ever since. It was 1980 before Marbleton received its own post office. The engine that has mostly fueled Marbleton's growth over the last few decades has been the oil and gas production business.