‘A GREAT DEAL OF SIGNIFICANCE’
National Park Service to begin study of Dearfield for possible inclusion in park system
The National Park Service will begin gathering information next month on the former Dearfield townsite, another step in the lengthy process of the Weld County location potentially being included in the federal parks system.
The park service will host three public informational meetings in mid-january to help inform the agency for its upcoming Dearfield Special Resource Study. The agency will conduct the study to determine if Dearfield meets the criteria to be recommended for inclusion in the parks system.
Dearfield was a Black agricultural community established in the early 20th century by O.T. Jackson, a businessman and entrepreneur in Denver and Boulder. Dearfield is located on U.S. 34 about 25 miles east of Greeley.
The National Park Service will host meetings 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16 at the Blaircaldwell African American Research Library/cousins Gallery, 2401 Welton St. in Denver; from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17 at the Greeley History Museum, 714 8th St., in Greeley; and a virtual meeting from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, Jan. 19.
A link to the virtual meeting is available at bit.ly/npsdearfield23. A video recording of the virtual meeting will remain available on the project page.
An email Tuesday evening from the Dearfield Study Team at the National Park Service said the special study is ongoing. The team is in its initial data collection phase. A major component of the initial phase is collecting public opinion on Dearfield’s history, significance and its future management, according to the email.
The study team said the January meetings are a way for the public to learn about the study and share information and opinions.
The public may also comment about the project online at parkplanning.nps.gov/ Dearfield_srs
University of Northern Colorado professors George Junne and Bob Brunswig have studied Dearfield and Jackson for about 30 years. The men have played key roles in an ever-expanding group effort to advocate for Dearfield’s historical importance.
Brunswig this week said the National Park Service’s move into the special resource study is important. If Dearfield is to be included in the National Park Service system, it could be another decade or more before the effort is completed and a site is established.
“What they’re looking for is how unique and different is Dearfield in contributing to African American history and civil rights,” Brunswig said. “We’re going to make the case that there is a great deal of significance and the impact it had on the Black experience.”
The public meetings and another smaller online meeting in February for experts and scholars only will inform the
National Park Service with context about Dearfield. Brunswig said a criterion for the park service to include a site in the system is that the location has some significance.
Dearfield was the largest Black homesteading settlement in Colorado. The Homestead Act of 1862 allowed anyone older than 21 or who was the head of a household to apply for free federal land with stipulations: be a U.S. citizen or legally declare intent to become a citizen and not to fight against the U.S. or aid its enemies.
The parties in collaboration on Dearfield include the Black American West Museum and Heritage Center in Denver, which owns much of the land at the site, the city of Greeley, Colorado State University, UNC and Weld County.
These groups came together to form an entity known as the Dearfield Dream Project. The project came from the Dearfield Preservation Committee, which was established in 2008 by former county commissioner Bill Garcia and was the first organized effort around the town.
UNC is the lead academic institution through which most Dearfield Dream Project research and funding is being solicited and administered, according to Brunswig.
Since 2001, UNC has secured five Colorado State Historical Fund grants for a total of almost $190,000. In 2021, the Dearfield effort received a grant of almost $498,000 from the National Park Service.
The grant was to provide funding for the exterior rehabilitation and stabilization of two buildings on the property, Jackson’s old house and a filling station. Brunswig said much of the work under the grant has been completed. He is hiring a general contractor to begin work on the foundation, repairing walls and installing new roofs on both buildings.
Brunswig said an application was recently completed for another NPS grant for about $750,000. The application is in the evaluation stage. The proposed work will include a remodel of the filling station as a visitors’ center and a small museum, Brunswig said.