The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-05-05
AERQ.AMER|CAN CULLNCS
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For Is years o. r. Jackson WAS tsss
Only Negro farmer Hsar B0@sGsY, Colo,
He ~ss fsdssssf0sS snA vss Vet, liked
~ bis Shfss RssghbHs, bot IN the
PLANTING aad harvest times when there
cAs 6sSfth OF fafmksaas they eoeIs
generally oatBid him IN tss tabor mar,
kesy leaving him without assistance AT
tna GfGeaal times, He found II srapas,
sfBfS 10 keep G0l0fed farm hands for
afy length Of time beesmse. with no
other sasmbsfs Of their S,ses neas q,
hand, they k0pad II lonely life.
In 1905 Jackson began 10 tsssnk ssSa:
The situation sHd decided that what
VAS needed wsS q community Of col
ersa people which w0sId be large
enough 10 be sslfsaH4eisns. Having
come 10 decision he started 10 work
0sst his plans, Htnes then there has
grown 40 on former government land
In Weld county, Colo. settlement OF
$50 Negro men snd women fairly start,
Cd toward Independence, Ths name
o. the settlement IL De&rfeId, and the
fSrcs behind II II the Dearfe.d Dsve.,
eptng company, organized on a CO.
operative basis and preaching self.
help.
The story OF the struggles which the
founder and the small group Of pio-
Heers which BIG gathered around him
had. and Of the momentum which the
movement gained - II became sue
esssfai II told BY w. J. Harsha In an
interview with Jackson In the South
sfn Workman.
Efforts were first made 10 obtain
suitable land from the stats land Of
nee. but mons wsS found available,
Then attention was directed 10 the
federal authorities and locations were
offered In three different counties In
Colorado. jackson and the two Or
three men whom he had associated
with him finally selected the Weld
county site because OF it, fertility,
availability Of wstsY. and good rail,
road connections with tho large mar.
kets OF Denver only 10 miles away.
The Jackson family was the first to
settle. IN May, 1910. snd home was
established ysaT later. OF tbs first
settlers Mr.. Jackson Says:
y met most OF ths first settlers In
3 casual wsy-fn restaurants and bar,
Der shops snd on street corners
was invited 10 speak n our Denver
church on the Importance 10 our
people Of getting land before # IL
too late: after the meeting people
crowded around me asking for par,
tfeuIars. After several men had flied
they sent their friends TO me. Woman
claimants widows, spfnstsrs, desert
"a wivss--wers particularly active.
We publish : ittt1s paper and mention
In Il I'll filings made. and this At
traetsd attention. = am now recetv. 4
'ns .tots d mssi t1nd many callers AZ
Ing for homes.
E,The Dsarhsld settlers we're az poor
% people could be when they took up
homesteads, Their advancement has
been something wonderful for our
people, who know nothing OF pioneer
Ifs, Some who filed on their claims
ha4 not enough money TO ship their
household goods and pay all their rail
road fare. They psid their fare ~ far
as they could and walked the balance
OF the way To Dearfield. Soon after
arriving In Dsarfleld they secured
work with tho wealthy white farmers
In the district and began 10 build
houses on their claims. Some lived
In tents, others In dugouts. and some
In natural caves In hiilsides.
"The first year there were only
seven families In the settlement. and
We had only three teams. We man
aged 10 get In some garden corn, mel.
ons, pumpkins. squash, Mexican