Great Weekend Getaways - The lure of the Plains

Dearfield Ghost Town

By Shelly Steig

Blink as you drive down U.S. Highway 34, midway between Greeley and Fort Morgan, and you might miss a fascinating slice of Colorado history. That jumble of buildings and piles of lumber south of the road is Dearfield Ghost Town, the remains of what once was the state's largest all-black settlement.

The settlement was the revolutionary experiment of Oliver Toussaint Jackson. The son of an illiterate slave, Jackson grew up in Ohio and moved to Colorado in 1887, where he worked first in the restaurant industry, then as a state messenger for several Colorado governors. After capturing Booker T. Washington's vision of blacks achieving independence through land ownership, Jackson filed a claim to homestead 320 acres in 1910 and advertised for settlers. The town's name was suggested by a resident, who explained, “These are to be our fields, and because they are ours they will be very dear to us.”

During the colony's first winter, five of its seven families lived in dugouts or tents. To stay warm, they burned scavenged buffalo chips and driftwood that they carried miles from the Platte River. Despite the inhospitable conditions, they persevered, and by 1921 Dearfield had 700 residents. Some raised livestock, while others concentrated on crops that included oats, squash and sugar beets.

During its heyday, Dearfield was a gathering place that on weekends nearly doubled in size as breadwinners who worked in other cities came home to their families. Jackson's wife Minerva opened a popular diner and the town sponsored barn dances, picnics and parties.

Unfortunately the Depression combined with the dust bowl years took its toll, and Dearfield's population dwindled until it eventually disappeared. Of the many buildings that once dotted Dearfield, only three remain: the ruins of the filling station, the diner and Jackson's home.

While not one of the state's most scenic ghost towns, Dearfield is among the most historically significant. The Black American West Museum & Heritage Center in Denver is continuing preservation efforts, shoring up the remaining buildings and acquiring land that was once owned by the town. It plans to turn the area into a historical park by 2008.

Information: 303-292-2566 or www.blackamericanwestmuseum.com/.

Please note: This article is from our archives and some facts may have changed. Please contact your nearest AAA office and ask to speak to a travel counselor to update you on the latest travel information.

Shelly Steig is a Parker-based freelance writer who has written three books and more than 150 articles.