Black American West Museum

3091 California St., Denver
303/482-2242
www.blackamericanwestmuseum.com [1]

HOURS: Sept. 1–May 31 Tues.–Sat. 10 a.m.–2 p.m.,
June 1–Aug. 31 Tues.–Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

COST: $8 adult, $6 child, $7 senior

Residing in a tiny house, the Black American West Museum is full of the little-known history of the West’s African Americans, particularly those who made a life in Denver [2] and Colorado.

For starters, the house itself is the former home of Justina L. Ford, the first female African American licensed doctor in Colorado. The house—now on the National Register of Historic Places—was saved from demolition and moved from its original location before being restored.

The museum’s curator rattles off astonishing facts about African Americans in the West. For example, a third of all cowboys were black, and the only two stained-glass portraits of African Americans hanging in a U.S. state capitol building are at the Colorado State Capitol [3]. And local businessman Barney Ford (a former slave) opposed statehood for the territory because black men did not have the right to vote.

The top floor of the Black American West Museum has displays of Buffalo Soldier uniforms and rodeo memorabilia from the likes of “Deadwood Dick,” whose real name was Nat Love and reputation was that of the greatest black cowboy, and Bill Pickett, a rodeo cowboy who was the first black honoree in the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.

The Black American West Museum also owns a portion of Dearfield, Colorado, a ghost town northeast of Denver [2] that was formerly a black township. There are plans for a visitors center and preservation of the remaining buildings.