Dearfield

Roughly 35 miles southeast of Greeley, not far from the South Platte River, a few deserted buildings are what’s left of the largest settlement of Black farmers and families in Colorado. Founded by entrepreneur Oliver Toussaint Jackson in 1910, at its peak Dearfield had as many as 300 residents as demand for its agricultural products grew during World War I. But many people left for cities during the Dust Bowl and the town, which by then had a concrete block factory, a thriving cafe, two churches and a school, never recovered. 

Jackson attempted to rebrand the town as the Valley Resort for Black visitors from Denver and also tried to sell Dearfield to the government for use as an internment camp for Japanese Americans. The site, marked by a monument off of U.S. 34, now holds the remains of Jackson’s home, a gas station and a diner and is managed by the National Park Service.

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