[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 28, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H456-H459]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COMMEMORATING AFRICAN AMERICAN PIONEERS IN COLORADO
Mr. SCHAFFER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 54) commemorating African American pioneers in
Colorado.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 54
Whereas February is Black History Month, a month-long
celebration for Americans to reflect on both the history and
teachings of African Americans whose contributions are still
too little known;
Whereas Black History Month was started in 1976 and
February was chosen because the birthdays of both Frederick
Douglass and Abraham Lincoln fall in that month;
Whereas African Americans were an integral part of settling
the West, arriving in covered wagons, establishing self-
sufficient settlements, and filling numerous jobs from barber
to teacher, doctor to State legislator;
Whereas nearly one-third of the cowboys who helped build
the American West were of African American descent;
Whereas one of the best examples of an African American
prairie settlement is Dearfield, Colorado, an African
American agriculture community;
Whereas Oliver T. Jackson, an African American, inspired by
Booker T. Washington's book Up From Slavery that urged
African Americans to return to the land and earn their own
way with their own hands, took these ideas to heart and
established Dearfield, Colorado, in 1910;
Whereas Oliver T. Jackson inspired 60 African American
settlers to join in his agriculture colony, live off the
land, and become self-sufficient;
Whereas within 5 years, Dearfield, Colorado, had 44 wooden
cabins, over 600 farm acres, 2 churches, a school, a boarding
house, a blacksmith shop, a doctor's office, a cement
factory, and a filling station;
Whereas Oliver T. Jackson and those at Dearfield, Colorado,
reached their goal of becoming a prosperous, self-sufficient
community, with a peak population of 700;
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Whereas by the mid-1930's, plagued by drought and the Great
Depression, the community dwindled down to 12, including
Oliver T. Jackson and his wife; and
Whereas Dearfield, Colorado, was subsequently abandoned and
is now in need of restoration in order to help fulfill the
goal of Black History Month and educate Americans about the
role of African Americans in the settling of the American
West: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) encourages all Americans to learn about the history of
African Americans whose contributions are still too little
known;
(2) recognizes the role that African Americans, like those
at Dearfield, Colorado, greatly contributed to settling and
shaping the American West; and
(3) supports the restoration of the site at Dearfield,
Colorado, in order to educate the American public about the
history and contributions of African Americans to the West
and the United States.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Colorado (Mr. Schaffer) and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Schaffer).
Mr. SCHAFFER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, today draws a close to February, which is Black History
Month. Officially implemented in 1976, this month-long celebration is a
time for Americans to reflect on the historical contributions of
African Americans and the teachings of African Americans whose
contributions remain little-known. February was chosen as Black History
Month because Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln have birthdays
during this month.
Mr. Speaker, in order to help fulfill the two important goals of
Black History Month, it is appropriate to direct Congress and the
attention of the American people to the history and contributions of
African Americans in the West.
In my district, Colorado, there was once a unique African American
prairie settlement called Dearfield. It was located about 25 miles
Southwest of Greeley, Colorado. Dearfield is one of the best examples
of an African American agricultural colony in the Nation. Today, all
that remains of Dearfield are a few old outbuildings, some old
foundations, and a few fence rows.
Not only is Dearfield a unique and fine example of an all African-
American settlement, but Dearfield blends insight into the history of
African Americans. Following the Civil War, many African Americans from
the South headed West to escape oppression and racism.
These pioneering individuals held a wide variety of occupations. For
example, many were trappers, miners, cattlemen, laborers, doctors,
barbers, and even a State legislator named Joseph H. Stewart, who
served in the Colorado House of Representatives around the turn of the
century.
There are many little-known facts about African Americans and their
settlement of the West. Many of those facts are those of which
Americans are still unaware. Nearly one-third, for example, of the
cowboys who helped build the American West were of African American
descent. African Americans were some of the West's earliest
millionaires, owning much of the West's most valuable real estate, and
many of its prominent businesses. In fact, one of the first gold
discoveries in Idaho Springs, Colorado, was made by Henry Parker, an
African American miner.
African Americans were also military heroes in one of the greatest
wars in the West, the taking of San Juan Hill with Teddy Roosevelt in
the Spanish American War. In fact, the African-American 10th Cavalry
was a major factor in that victory.
By 1890, African Americans had a significant presence in the West.
About 6,000 African Americans lived in Colorado, including 5,000 who
owned property. Dearfield for many reasons was a shining example of
African-American history and contributions to the American West.
In 1910, African-American Oliver T. Jackson established Dearfield as
an agricultural colony. He was inspired by Booker T. Washington's book,
Up From Slavery, that urged African Americans to return to the land and
earn their own way with their own hands.
Joseph Westbrook was responsible for naming Dearfield. He said
African Americans must hold it dear to them. It may be interesting to
note that Westbrook, a physician, was a member of the Denver General
Hospital for 17 years, and served with the Interracial Commission and
the Denver Chamber of Commerce.
Oliver T. Jackson convinced 60 African-American settlers to join him
in Dearfield. Within 5 years, Dearfield was a prosperous, self-
sufficient community with a population of 700. Dearfield had 44 wooden
cabins, over 600 farm acres, two churches, a school, a boarding house,
a blacksmith shop, a doctor's office, a cement factory, and a filling
station.
The demise of Dearfield was much like many other pioneering
communities on the high Plains. Dearfield was plagued by the drought
and the Great Depression, and the population dwindled from 700 to just
12. Oliver T. Jackson and his wife were among those remaining.
Mr. Speaker, today Dearfield is a collection of ruins. Two
organizations in Colorado, Colorado Preservation, Incorporated, and the
Black American West Museum and Heritage Center, are working hard to
restore the town in order to teach Americans the history and
contributions of African Americans in the West.
Dearfield accomplishes the goal of Black History Month in 3 ways.
One, Dearfield helps educate Americans about the contributions of
African Americans in settling the West.
Two, Dearfield helps educate Americans about the unique African
American agricultural establishment that thrived and is still
influential today.
Three, Dearfield helps educate Americans about African-Americans'
lives and histories following the Civil War.
Mr. Speaker, I ask the House to favorably consider the resolution and
adopt it today.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution. I want to commend
my colleagues, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Schaffer) for his
leadership in bringing it forward today. I am proud to join him, as
always, as a cosponsor.
People of African-American descent have been involved in the history
of the West for centuries, at least since the time of Coronado. As the
resolution before us notes, they were an integral part of the expansion
into and settlement of Colorado and other western States by people from
other parts of the United States.
Notable among them were African Americans who served in the U.S.
Army, often referred to as Buffalo Soldiers, especially by Native
Americans, for whom the term was one of respect.
In Colorado and elsewhere, African Americans were involved in
ranching. By some estimates, fully one-third of the cowboys who have so
greatly shaped our image of the West have been African Americans. In
Colorado, they worked in the mines, labored in industrial towns like
Pueblo, helped shape Denver and other communities, and were farmers as
well.
Today African Americans continue to make important contributions in
Colorado to our economy, to our culture, and at the highest levels of
our municipal and State governments. Together with fellow Coloradans,
they look forward to this new century with hope and determination to
make our State's future one of opportunity and achievement.
But as we look forward, it is important that we not lose sight of the
past and the distance that we in Colorado and in the Nation have come.
For as we all know, we must remember the past if we are to understand
the present and to build for the future. So the resolution before us is
most appropriate, both as it pertains to a specific example of African-
American pioneers, and as it calls for us to remember the larger story
of which they were a part.
As noted in the resolution before us, as my colleague, the gentleman
from Colorado (Mr. Schaffer) pointed out, Oliver Jackson and other
African Americans joined to form an agricultural colony in northeastern
Colorado early in the last century. The result was the founding of
Dearfield, which reached a peak population of 700 before it, like so
many other agricultural communities on the Plains, began to fade away.
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Today, the resolution notes, Dearfield is no longer an active
community. Drought, the Great Depression, and other economic and social
changes have left it abandoned, but Dearfield has not been forgotten.
On the contrary, by passing this resolution, the House today will be
saying that it is important for all of us in Colorado and in the rest
of this country to remember the contributions of Oliver Jackson and the
other settlers of Dearfield, and all of the other African-American
pioneers in Colorado and the West.
So again, I thank my colleague for bringing forward this resolution,
and look forward to working with him to help increase public
recognition and understanding of the importance of the Dearfield
settlers and of other African Americans, the history of our State, and
the West.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr.
Baca).
Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, in honor of African American History Month
this February, I would like to join my colleagues in recognizing the
outstanding contributions of African Americans in history like those of
Dearfield, Colorado. These remarkable pioneers greatly contributed to
the settling and shaping of the American West.
For example, in California, we have a remarkable African-American
pioneer, Alvin Coffey, who braved the journey across country not once
but twice while enslaved.
After his final voyage, he was able to save money to buy his freedom
and settle in California. He became very successful. In the final years
of his life, he gave his entire income to charity.
In honor of this month-long celebration of achievement and history of
African Americans, we must remember the continuing struggle that many
people in this country face in the search for freedom, equality and
full representation as guaranteed by our Constitution.
On February 17, Black History Month was celebrated in my district.
African-American communities came together.
Specifically, I would like to commend the following newspapers in my
district who contribute to inspire and shape the political landscape
for our areas of African-American communities: The Precinct Reporter,
Brian Townsend, editor and owner and brother to my Chief of Staff,
Michael Townsend; The Black Voice, Cheryl Brown, editor, whose daughter
Paulette Brown-Hinds is my congressional representative and press
secretary, and whose father, Hardy Brown, is an extremely hard-working
community activist in the Inland Empire.
African Americans contributed greatly to the remarkable history of
our Nation. We must recognize their sacrifice and struggles. However,
most importantly, we must continue to follow the footsteps of those
heroes and fight on for freedom. We must fight on for justice. Only
when everyone's voice is heard can we continue our long march towards
equal opportunity for all.
Let our dreams keep alive. Let hope keep alive. Let us remember the
struggle that Martin Luther King has done for our country and for our
Nation, and never forget we must continue to fight for justice and
equality.
Mr. SCHAFFER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I would say this is a great resolution, and I am honored
to be able to introduce it in the House. I want to just mention all of
the people back home in Colorado who have worked hard to elevate the
prominence of Dearfield, and also to my colleague, the gentleman from
Colorado (Mr. Udall), a cosponsor of the resolution, this is a great
Colorado effort and a great western statement, and particularly fitting
on this closing day of Black History Month.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I would just echo the statements
of my friend and colleague, the gentleman from the great State of
Colorado.
Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 54, to
commemorate African American pioneers in Colorado and I thank my
colleague for introducing this important legislation. I believe it is
appropriate for Americans to more fully understand the contributions
made by African Americans to the history of our country, especially
their roles in shaping the culture of the West. Specifically, this
resolution highlights the founding of a town called Dearfield, Colorado
by Oliver T. Jackson in 1910. It is appropriate this February, during
Black History Month, to honor the founding of Dearfield as well as
other contributions African Americans made to the development of the
West.
The Black American West Museum and Heritage Center is located in my
district in Denver. Paul Stewart founded this museum to educate people
about the role of African Americans in the settling of the West. When
Mr. Stewart played ``Cowboys and Indians'' as a child, he never played
a cowboy because, as he was told, there were no black cowboys. Through
the work of the Black History Museum and Heritage Center, Mr. Stewart
has since proven his childhood friends wrong. Nearly one-third of the
cowboys who helped build the West were African American. In fact,
African Americans in the West worked in various positions including
doctors, riders on the Pony Express, stage coach drivers, teachers, and
soldiers.
In Colorado, Dearfield was established by an African American and
grew to include a school, churches, a blacksmith shop, a doctor's
office, and other community markers. Dearfield succumbed to a drought
and the Great Depression in the mid-1930's, yet it remains a prized
piece of African American history in the Western United States.
The African American pioneers of the early West achieved much during
their lives, including helping to pave the way for modern-day African
American pioneers. From civil rights activists to teachers and business
leaders, African Americans continue to shape and influence Colorado and
the American West. While we pause to remember those African Americans
who helped settle Colorado, let us also recognize those who continue to
shape our state and nation.
I thank Congressman Schaffer for introducing this legislation and
reminding us all of the important contributions to Colorado and the
West made by African Americans.
Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, today I am honored to join in support of
the resolution by the gentleman from Colorado (Bob Schaffer) to honor
the outstanding contributions of African American Pioneers of the West.
As we reflect upon the development of the American West, the vital role
of African Americans is shamefully overlooked.
In the American West, African Americans were settlers, explorers,
cowboys, ranchers, soldiers, peace officers, miners, blacksmiths,
lawyers and legislators. But because our historical literature fails to
appropriately acknowledge their many achievements, African Americans
are largely omitted from the stories of Western American settlement.
The fact is, Mr. Speaker, African Americans made a vitally significant
contribution to the success of our early nation.
As much as one-third of all cowboys were African American. The
cowboy, or vaquero, as their Hispanic counterparts were called, was one
of the most dangerous and hardest jobs in the West, vital to developing
an economic base. African Americans, some of the first Western American
millionaires, purchased land and worked to develop agriculture into the
national economic asset it is today.
African Americans traveled west in covered wagons across the country
to form all-Black, self-sufficient towns. African American residents
held every position and job necessary to ensure the town's survival. As
blacksmiths or State legislators, African Americans made the West a
part of our Nation.
African Americans also introduced law and order to the West. As peace
officers and as soldiers in the United States Army, African Americans
made the frontier safer for settlers. In Texas' early years, about half
of the lawmen who rode with the State Police were African Americans.
Many African Americans also rode with Theodore Roosevelt's famous Rough
Riders and these Buffalo soldiers were famous for their uncommon valor.
It is appropriate, especially during Black History Month, to
celebrate the many positive efforts of African Americans in forging the
American West. We celebrate this history by acknowledging the heritage
and significant contributions of our African American brothers and
sisters.
I applaud Congressman Schaffer and the members of the Congressional
Black Caucus for bringing long-overdue attention to these little known
historical facts. I call on schools across the Nation to incorporate
this important history into our student's education.
Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
{time} 1130
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Schaffer) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 54.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
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those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mr. SCHAFFER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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