See inside the crumbling ghost town that was once home to one of America's most successful Black farming communities

Monica HumphriesOct 24, 2021, 00:05 IST

An old chair inside OT Jackson's former home in Dearfield, Colorado.Monica Humphries/Insider

Dearfield, Colorado, is a tiny abandoned town about an hour northeast of Denver.
A century ago, it was home to one of the country's most prosperous Black agricultural communities.

Just northeast of Denver in Colorado is a little town called Dearfield. A century ago, it was home to one of the country's most prosperous Black agricultural communities.

Dearfield, Colorado, is northeast of Denver. Google Maps

Just northeast of Denver in Colorado is a little town called Dearfield. A century ago, it was home to one of the country's most prosperous Black agricultural communities.

Today it's a ghost town off of highway US 34. The road turns into an unswerving, two-lane road with farmland stretching in every direction as you approach.

The highway the ghost town of Dearfield, Colorado, sits on. Monica Humphries/Insider

If you weren't looking for it, you'd likely drive right past Dearfield, Colorado. A marble sign marks the site and only a handful of buildings stand today.

A marble plaque offers a bit of history into the former farming community. Monica Humphries/Insider

On a recent visit to the site, visitors walked past a sign that was the original advertisement with photos of the community.

A reprinted advertisement for Dearfield, Colorado. Monica Humphries/Insider

Dearfield only lasted 20 or so years, but during that time, the community flourished.

The exterior of Dearfield's original filling station. Monica Humphries/Insider

"The reason that Dearfield ultimately fell apart was the same reason that the whole country fell apart," Brunswig said. "We had an economic and environmental collapse."

A closet in OT Jackson's original home. Monica Humphries/Insider

Today it's one of the few historically Black agricultural communities with original buildings. While four structures remain, only two are original.

The exterior of OT Jackson's house. Monica Humphries/Insider

As you walk through the ghost town, each building had its own sign with its history. Here, for example, a sign dives into the history of Dearfield's dance hall.

A sign explaining the location and history of a meeting place and dance hall. Monica Humphries/Insider

Tucked away from the road is Jackson's family home, which was originally built as the Dearfield Lodge.

A room inside OT Jackson's home. Monica Humphries/Insider

The home is filled with rusting relics of what life looked like decades ago.

Old appliances filled the entrance of Jackson's home. Monica Humphries/Insider

Closer to the road is what was once the Dearfield Service Station.

The exterior of the filling station, which remained open until the 1980s. Monica Humphries/Insider

This building hasn't fared as well as Jackson's house. Inside, there's graffiti, and the walls of the building have been removed.

One of Dearfield's greatest challenges has been trespassers. Monica Humphries/Insider

There are still signs of what the building once was. There's an ice chest in one corner of the room, and the wood beams are stamped with Jackson's name.

A stamp on a wood beam in the filling station. Monica Humphries/Insider

Next to the old filling station is an abandoned home. Likely built between 1940 and 1950, it isn't part of the original townsite.

A rusted bed frame sits in an old home in the Dearfield site. Monica Humphries/Insider

Behind the home is another building from the mid-1900s, which was once a garage. Today, it's filled with broken glass bottles.

Inside the garage, glass jars fill an old workbench. Monica Humphries/Insider

Bolted to the roof is an old sign advertising Dearfield, but it's spelled incorrectly.

On the ceiling, an old sign advertises the townsite. Monica Humphries/Insider

There's also a crumbling wood structure that's hard to ignore. This was originally the Dearfield lunch room, but in 2020, strong winds collapsed the building.

The building collapsed because of strong winds from a microburst. Monica Humphries/Insider

Empty fields were previously home to dance halls, churches, and other family homes.

The area was once home to a pavilion for Dearfield residents. Monica Humphries/Insider

The town represents the idea that motivation, hard work, and thinking big can lead to prosperity, Brunswig said.

A room inside OT Jackson's home. Monica Humphries/Insider

For decades, people like Brunswig, Junne, and others have been working to preserve the few remaining buildings.

The roof of OT Jackson's home. Monica Humphries/Insider

What your nail color says about you, according to Oprah Winfrey's personal pedicurist

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

See inside the crumbling ghost town that was once home to one of America's most successful Black farming communities

Just northeast of Denver in Colorado is a little town called Dearfield. A century ago, it was home to one of the country's most prosperous Black agricultural communities.

Today it's a ghost town off of highway US 34. The road turns into an unswerving, two-lane road with farmland stretching in every direction as you approach.

If you weren't looking for it, you'd likely drive right past Dearfield, Colorado. A marble sign marks the site and only a handful of buildings stand today.

On a recent visit to the site, visitors walked past a sign that was the original advertisement with photos of the community.

Dearfield only lasted 20 or so years, but during that time, the community flourished.

"The reason that Dearfield ultimately fell apart was the same reason that the whole country fell apart," Brunswig said. "We had an economic and environmental collapse."

Today it's one of the few historically Black agricultural communities with original buildings. While four structures remain, only two are original.

As you walk through the ghost town, each building had its own sign with its history. Here, for example, a sign dives into the history of Dearfield's dance hall.

Tucked away from the road is Jackson's family home, which was originally built as the Dearfield Lodge.

The home is filled with rusting relics of what life looked like decades ago.

Closer to the road is what was once the Dearfield Service Station.

This building hasn't fared as well as Jackson's house. Inside, there's graffiti, and the walls of the building have been removed.

There are still signs of what the building once was. There's an ice chest in one corner of the room, and the wood beams are stamped with Jackson's name.

Next to the old filling station is an abandoned home. Likely built between 1940 and 1950, it isn't part of the original townsite.

Behind the home is another building from the mid-1900s, which was once a garage. Today, it's filled with broken glass bottles.

Bolted to the roof is an old sign advertising Dearfield, but it's spelled incorrectly.

There's also a crumbling wood structure that's hard to ignore. This was originally the Dearfield lunch room, but in 2020, strong winds collapsed the building.

Empty fields were previously home to dance halls, churches, and other family homes.

The town represents the idea that motivation, hard work, and thinking big can lead to prosperity, Brunswig said.

For decades, people like Brunswig, Junne, and others have been working to preserve the few remaining buildings.