The Forgotten Legacy of the Ghost Town of Dearfield

The ghost town of Dearfield lies on a remote stretch of Highway 34 east of Greeley, Colorado. Neglected for decades, the ramshackle ruins that remain do little to testify to the historical significance of this former farming community. Established in 1910, Dearfield reflected the African-American dream of self-sufficiency and was once known as one of the most successful African-American agricultural communities in the United States.

Inspired by Booker T. Washington's advice to get a home and property of his own, O.T. Jackson dreamed of establishing a self-sufficient African-American community on the eastern plains of Colorado. Jackson, an entrepreneur from Boulder, visioned a prosperous agricultural settlement, similar to Greeley's Union Colony, made up of African-Americans.

Using the Homestead Act of 1909, Jackson filed a desert homestead claim of 320 acres located near a Union Pacific Railroad station in Weld County. The nearby railroad would help to ensure the future community's success in marketing its produce. Believing that the land would remain dear to the colony's residents, the name Dearfield was chosen.

Seven families called Dearfield home by 1911. However, life was difficult for the early settlers. Having little money when they set up their homesteads, only two of the seven families were able to build cabins. The rest of the families lived in tents or dugouts. Wood was scarce, so buffalo chips and sagebrush were used as fuel. The first winter was severe. Several horses were lost due to starvation while others were too weak to pull wagons.

The first few seasons presented difficulty for the settlers of Dearfield as they struggled with water shortages farming the dry plains. Refusing to give up on their dream, the hardy residents persevered through the hardships as they experimented with dry farming until Dearfield became prosperous. By 1915, more homestead acres were filed nearby as 595 acres were cultivated with oats, sugar beets, squash, watermelons, potatoes, corn, and more.

At this point, Dearfield's population consisted of 111 people living in forty-four cabins. Dearfield boasted a restaurant, grocery store, lodge, boarding house, school, gas station, and two churches along with a dance pavilion. By 1920, seven hundred African-Americans called Dearfield home. At its peak, Dearfield was valued at $750,000 with over 15,000 cultivated acres. Jackson's dream of a self-sufficient African-American community had indeed become a reality!

There is an absence of irrigation and a heavy dependence on precipitation in dry farming. The onset of the Great Depression and the droughts of the Dust Bowl brought an end to Dearfield. By 1940, only 12 people remained in this once thriving community. The Dust Bowl's dry winds blew away Jackson's dreams and turned Dearfield to dust.

Jackson clung to hope and remained in Dearfield operating the gas station and running the diner until illness prevented him from doing so in 1946. He passed away in 1948 leaving his niece, Jenny Jackson, the sole resident of Dearfield until her death in 1973.

The ghost town of Dearfield represents a significant part of Colorado and African-American history. A symbol of empowerment, Dearfield was an inspiration of success in a time period when African-Americans were marginalized.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995, Dearfield was placed on Colorado's Most Endangered Places list in 1999. Although some attempts have been made at stabilization, most of the remaining structures in Dearfield are in a huge state of disrepair. This significant part of history remains in danger of being lost to time.

To Visit The Ghost Town Of Dearfield:

Follow Highway 34 east of Greeley for 24 miles. Don't blink or you will miss the Dearfield sign on the right.