Three Historic Denver Neighborhoods

Future Ancestors, Crossing Timelines

with three historic North Denver Neighborhoods: 

Join the Globeville–Elyria–Swansea Coalition (GESC) for a one-night journey through time – an immersive experience that reveals how these three neighborhoods were made: shaped by historic disinvestment, redlining, labor struggles, industrial zoning, and highway expansion, and transformed by neighbors organizing for racial, environmental, and economic justice for more than a century. 

Then we step forward across timelines into a thriving, community-owned
future, where neighbors have built a neighborhood model rooted in collective governance, healthy housing, land stewardship, and community-led investment.
This is their story, a celebration, and a public invitation:
become excellent ancestors to the next generation of GES.

Hosted by the Forney Museum of Transportation
at 4303 Brighton Blvd, Denver, CO 80216
Friday March 6, 4-7 pm

Doors: 4pm
Time Warp: 5pm

More information: info@ges-coalition (720) 432 - 1188
forneymuseum.org 

Affordable Home Ownership in Globeville/Elyria/Swansea

The Tierra Colectiva Community Land Trust, will be holding an orientation meeting on Tuesday, October 7th from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, at 4700 Claude Court. A dinner will be held at 5:00 pm and the meeting at 5:30 pm.

Learn about Tierra Colectiva and how we keep homes affordable in the GES neighborhoods and how to join out waitlist. (Attending this meeting is a requirement to join our waitlist).

The Tierra Colectiva Community Land Trust, operating under the umbrella of the GES Coalition, helps people on income-restricted budgets find permanent housing. In a market like Denver, renters end up spending more than half their income on housing per month.

Tierra Coletiva has sold 15 homes at or below market rates, with 23 more homes in its planned pipeline. The organization is also part of a program at 49th Avenue and Washington Street that will bring 170 rental units below market rates for income-restricted renters.

More information is at ges-coalition.org/community-land-trust.
720-432-1188

GES Open House

The GES Coalition works with residents in the Globeville, Elyria and Swansea neighborhoods on issues that impact these communities. This meeting will be held at the Globeville Recreation Center at 4496 Grant Street from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm. This looks like a lot of information to cram in an hour and a half period, and the meeting ends before a lot of working folks can make it.

But these meetings usually have a moderator to keep thing moving, so you might pick the one project that affects you the most - like construction on Washington Street or the 44th Avenue Pedestrian improvements. (Are there sidewalks on 44th Avenue now?)

Take notes and ask questions.

 

Growing up near the Stockyards

Born in 1918 in Elyria, Joe Sadar had fond memories of his childhood. “I can’t believe any youngsters, no matter where they grew up, had a better neighborhood than the stockyard area. We were always in the stockyards playing around. We used to go there, jump in, milk the cows and take it home. The ranchers would all bring their cattle in and we’d ask if they had any cows around. They’d let us go in and milk them and take it home. We’d carry a bucket with us.

Then we’d play “gate tag.” There was an alley and pens on both sides. We’d play tag, get on that gate and swing to the other side. You’d do that when there wasn’t any cattle. Yeah, they used to hire cowboys to move the cattle around. When they would run sheep up to the killing floor, they would have a goat lead them. Sheep are funny. If there was a puddle of water, they wouldn’t cross it. They had a goat lead the sheep up onto the floor. They’d follow that goat right up into the packinghouse. That old goat would eat cigarette butts and everything. That was a great place to have fun.”

Rudy Okoren was born in 1924 and was old enough to experience long Masses at Holy Rosary Church. “The Mass was in Latin, and there was a sermon in English and then one in Slovenian. We got in the habit of slipping out during the second sermon to play in the stockyards. Of course, our folks knew something was up because we’d come home all dirty. So later, we’d just duck out and sneak a smoke.”

Two generations later, another kid discovered the excitement in the stockyards. Born in 1954, Ken “Boogie” Mondragon grew up in public housing at Stapleton Homes. “We used to go to the stockyard area and once in awhile, they’d have pigs in there. We’d go in there and ride the pigs and get all dirty. We didn’t hurt the pigs and they knew we were doing it. Then we’d wash up in the Platte River and go home. We had to find our own fun.”

Today’s youngsters can take advantage of a symposium, gardening, cooking classes, or virtual learning experiences at the CSU Spur development in the Stock Show Complex. Perhaps some of the new activities could include riding pigs, “gate tag” or milking cows.

Sadar’s home at 4789 Williams is still standing 

Elections in Globeville

The very first election in Globeville was held on a Thursday, July 2, 1891. The community needed to decide whether or not to incorporate their settlement.

Developers had laid out inexpensive, rural-sounding tracts so workers could build homes close to their industrial jobs. Greenwood Addition, Cranberry Place, Tacoma Heights, Argo Park, Platte Farm and Garden Place were growing in population and this vote was to determine whether their residents wanted to incorporate as a single town. Thomas J. Anders, a real estate developer from adjacent Retreat Park, opposed the idea and argued that taxes would likely increase. But many citizens were concerned that their village could be annexed by Denver (who coveted the tax revenue from the smelters and meat packing plants), by the straight-laced company town of Argo to the west, or the anything-goes town of Elyria to the east. 

Residents felt the need for some civic improvements like water treatment, fire and police protection, street lights, and control over the kind of behavior that would be tolerated in the town. Incorporation carried the day and the community chose the name of "Globeville" for their new city.

An organizational meeting was held in the Globeville schoolhouse at 51st and Washington with homesteader William Hanford Clark chosen as the town's first mayor. Attendees decided that the city government would be elected every two years and consist of the mayor, six trustees, a recorder, treasurer, magistrate and marshal. Officials wold meet every second Tuesday of the month at 7:30 pm, with additional meetings as necessary.

The minutes of that first meeting reflect the determination of the council to ensure that Globeville would be a desirable place to live. Prize fighting, which was legal and profitable in nearby Elyria, was forbidden. "Abusive, common, vulgar, indecent or improper language was illegal, as well as inciting others to commit violent crimes."

The neighborhood still had large areas of open land and town ordinances reflected that. "The running of large horses, cattle, sheep or goats, geese or burros within the limits of the town is illegal."

The first meeting dealt with the structure of governance in Globeville and it was decided to hold the first official election of officials and trustees in the spring. So a ballot for the vote was published on April 1, 1892, in the Rocky Mountain News, and the election held on April 5, 1892. 

 

Globeville, Elyria, Swansea and RiNo get a newspaper!

During the late 19th and early 20th century, several small newspapers kept the citizens of the independent towns of Globeville, Elyria, and Swansea informed. During 1891 - 1892, The Rocky Mountain and Globeville Chronicle was published weekly, as well as the Elyria Journal and Globeville News from an office at 1749 Champa Street. C. H. Pierce produced a newspaper called the Elyria Post in 1899, and Halsey M. Rhoads published the Globeville Chronicle in 1900. It would be fascinating to read any of these publications but no copies seem to exist.

During the 1970s, a monthly publication, El Vecino, served the Globeville, Elyria, Swansea, Highlands, Jefferson Park, Westside and Sunnyside neighborhoods. Currently, La Voz and El Semanario offer bi-lingual reporting of the greater metropolitan area. Since then, these neighborhoods have not had a publication that reports on issues relevant to their communities. Until now.

For the past two years, David Sabados has published The Denver North Star, a monthly newspaper that serves the Denver neighborhoods west of I-25 and north of Colfax. The nearby neighborhoods of Globeville, Elyria, Swansea and RiNo now have a similar publication in the G. E. S. Gazette. Each month, the Gazette will be spotlighting businesses and organizations, as well as reporting on city council meetings and schools. There will be information on codes and zoning changes and development. And there will be stories about concerts, events, festivals and shows in this vibrant area. The Gazette is published in both English and Spanish, so grab a copy and discover new places in your neighborhood.

This free publication is available at:
Bomaretos Market, 5500 Washington,
Tattered Cover, 2526 E Colfax,
Tattered Cover, Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop,
Valdez-Perry Library, 4690 Vine Street,
Broadway Rec Center, 5090 Broadway,
Johnson Rec Center, 4809 Race Street,
Swansea Rec Center, 2650 E. 49th Avenue,
and Tighe Brothers Distillery, 4200 Milwaukee.
 

Also available online at:
G.E.S. Gazette

The inaugural issue of the G.E.S. Gazette

The National Western Stock Show

Ever since the National Western Stock Show was officially established in 1906, Globeville enjoyed the trickle-down economic bounty from the event. During its ten-day run, the Stock Show was a source of jobs and a boon to local taverns, restaurants, hotels and merchants. School children enjoyed a day away from the classroom to see farm animals, mutton busting, horse shows and numerous rodeos.

Ad from January 1927 issue of the Denver Catholic Register

In 1960, the nearby meatpacking industry was Globeville’s and the city’s largest employer. But the decade that followed saw mergers and acquisitions that resulted in a loss of jobs. Soon feedlot operators built out-of-town facilities to slaughter and process meat, shipping directly to stores and bypassing the packing plants. The change affected the “Big Four:” Swift shut down in April 1966 and Armour in 1968. Cudahy continued to operate until it was acquired by Bar-S in 1981, and Wilson limped along until closing in 1981. The stock pens were deserted and the Stock Show Complex began to deteriorate.

Empty stock pens in the 1980s.

Every January, the National Western Stock Show continued to generate excitement and revenue. But for the rest of the year, the run-down complex struggled to stay relevant, hosting tattoo conventions, model trains exhibits and bridal shows. Meanwhile, in 2011, the city of Aurora offered tax incentives to relocate the Stock Show as part of the Gaylord Hotel complex. Thankfully, in 2015, Denver voters approved 2C. 

                  John Zapien, member of the Citizens Advisory Committee

The measure extended a 1.75 percent tax on hotel rooms and rental cars in Denver, generating $622 million for the project. CSU pledged another $250 million to construct facilities for education, and the Stock Show donated 75 acres of land and $50 million in cash.

Longtime Globeville resident John Zapien once worked as a “lugger” for Wilson, lugging lamb off a hook and onto a truck. Zapien has also represented the community’s interests for decades. Now a member of the National Western Citizens Advisory Committee, he is the only community member who gets a vote on the authority’s board. He and other residents look forward to the jobs that construction and new facilities will bring and the CSU educational opportunities for children.

“Who would have thought we’d have a college campus right where the stockyard was? They’re not just dealing with animals, but information and water, which is terribly crucial. I see this as a wonderful opportunity for young people,” Zapien said. “I think one of the biggest bridges is the food on the table. Whether you live in Globeville or Elyria or Swansea or Burlington or Clifton or Palisade or Rifle, there are some real similarities that we can work on together in the future with our rural neighbors. They’re the same as we are, they just live out of town.”

Lorraine Loreda Granado - Your Light Still Shines

Jim and Lorraine Granado enjoying the pancake breakfast
at Holy Rosary parish

But your light still shines
It's one small star to guide me
And it helps me to hold back the dark
Your light's still shining in my heart

A verse from "One Small Star" by John McDermott

The communities of Globeville, Elyria and Swansea have lost a shining star. Lorraine Granado passed away Sunday, December 8th at home surrounded by those who loved her. She was 71 years old.

Lorraine spent her entire life working at making this world a more loving, kind, respectful place for all people. Her many accomplishments include a successful class action lawsuit against Asarco, the creation of many youth and family serving organizations and non-profits, and the creation of a park for families in her community. Her efforts still shine throughout the neighborhoods she served.

A Rosary celebrating Lorraine’s life will be held at Romero’s Funeral home,
47th and Tejon, on Thursday, December 11th at 3:00 pm with a viewing
from 2:00 -3:00 pm.
Her funeral will be held at Our Lady of Grace Church, 48th and Clayton, on Friday, December 13th, at 10:00 am with her burial immediately following at Mount Olivet Cemetery. 

Globeville-Elyria-Swansea Memory Project

I could be in any church for any occasion, but a whiff of bees wax candles, or the spicy scent of incense calls up memories of Holy Rosary Church during Holy Week. My recollections are of the days before Vatican II, of Latin hymns, Tantum Ergo and Panis Angelicus. It is the Globeville neighborhood of that era that is etched in my memory: still intact, neat as a model train layout with small homes, tidy yards, barns and sheds, steeples and smokestacks.
What triggers a memory of the neighborhood for you? The sound of a trail whistle? The smell of the stockyards? A snapshot of the family home? History Colorado wants to hear reminiscences of both long-time and new residents of the Globeville-Elyria-Swansea Neighborhoods.
History Colorado uses site-based remembering techniques to jump-start writing and storytelling that reanimates the community history of a place. Neighbors write stories of resilience and community connection that forge stronger identities.

Wednesdays, September 26, October 3 and October 10
6:30 - 8:30 pm, Swansea Recreation Center
2650 East 49th Avenue
Denver, CO 80216
Call 303-866-4584 to schedule a time

What to Bring:

Pen, paper, an object of importance from your neighborhood/community,
lots of memories, family and friends!

A culminating Community Exhibit will take place on November 15th from 6–8 pm.

¡COMPARTE TU HISTORIA!

History Colorado presenta el

Proyecto Recuerdos de los Barrios: Globeville-Elyria-Swansea

El Proyecto Recuerdos de los Barrios es un programa de narración de historias que se centra en los residentes antiguos y actuales de barrios específicos. Empleamos técnicas de reminiscencia basadas en el sitio con el fin de estimular escritos y narraciones que reanimen la historia de la comunidad. Los vecinos escriben historias de resiliencia y conexión comunitaria que sirven para reforzar su identidad.

Qué traer:

Bolígrafo, papel, un objeto de importancia de su barrio/comunidad,
muchos recuerdos,  ¡Familia y Amigos!

Finalizaremos con una Exposición de la Comunidad el 15 de Noviembre de 6–8 pm.

Miercoles 6:30–8:30 pm

Swansea Recreation Center   •     2650 E. 49th Ave,    •     Denver, CO 80216

September 26, October 3 y October 10
303-866-4584

Holy Rosary Church ® Mary Lou Egan

Intact 4500 block of Sherman Street before I-70
® Mary Lou Egan

Lorraine Granado - Cross Community Coalition

“Look at all these wonderful opportunities to make it better.” Those were the words of Lorraine Granado, a fourth-generation resident of the industrial neighborhood of Elyria who wanted a better life for her three sons and her grandchildren. Where others saw interstate highways, heavy industry, pollution, unemployment and inadequate city services, Granado saw possibilities. Granado created the Cross Community Coalition in 1987, that brought together the neighborhoods of Globeville, Swansea and Elyria. *

The Coalition established its Family Resource Center in the shadow of elevated I-70 in a storefront at 46^th and Josephine, and offered classes in English, GED preparation, job readiness and studies toward citizenship. There were programs for young adults: after-school tutoring, leadership development, conflict resolution and environmental education. Classes were also available in small business development, housing rehabilitation and home ownership.

Through the organization, citizens successfully fought the city's proposed medical waste incinerator, and a tent city for the homeless. The Coalition also joined a class-action lawsuit that required the ASARCO smelter to clean up yards and compensate residents for decreased property values. 

In 2005, the Coalition moved into a new 9,000-square-foot community center at 2501 East 48^th Avenue. Poor health forced Granado to retire in 2009, but her efforts and those of the organization helped many individuals realize their goals, and the Globeville, Elyria and Swansea neighborhoods develop a strong voice for environmental justice.

On October 31, 2017, Denver Public Schools and CDOT's Central 70 project team dedicated the new east wing of Swansea Elementary to Granado. Her compassion, kindness and peaceful resolution skills brought diverse groups of people together to make positive changes in those communities. Although Granado couldn't be present for the event, a plaque near the main entrance to Swansea School commemorates her commitment to treating people with respect and love.
* The Board of Directors listed when the Cross Community Coalition was created included: Mary Miera Saragosa, Kenneth Mondragon, Michael Maes, Paul Garcia, Alvin Lewis, Shirley Castro, and Dana Louria. The Coalition was dissolved in 2011. Focus Points Resource Center occupies the space and continues the work.

Elyria

Most people in Denver only know Elyria by the odor produced by the Purina Chow facility and only see the area from the highway that decimated the neighborhood. None of these current views does justice to the area.
Once a bucolic suburb marketed to people escaping the grime and industry of Denver, Elyria was platted on March 29, 1881 by Archie C. Fisk, President, and C. F. Leiman, Secretary, of the Denver Land and Improvement Company, who promoted “A Plan Whereby Every Man May Become a Householder.” * The company’s goal was “buying up cheap tracts of land adjoining the city and platting them into town lots, or garden patches.” The promise of horsecar lines with cheap fares attracted men who worked in the smelters, railroads, factories, and meat packing plants but who wanted to raise a family in a rural community away from those industries. The northern boundary was Adams County at 52^nd Avenue, the southern boundary was 38^th and 40^th Avenues, the western boundary was the Platte River, and the eastern boundary was Josephine, now extending all the way to Colorado Boulevard to include the Swansea neighborhood.

Although the settlers of Elyria objected to the smoke and soot from the industries in Denver and Globeville, they embraced any activity that would provide revenue - gambling, prize fights and around-the-clock drinking in 17 saloons. Elyria was a wide-open town.

As more families moved to the area, signs of civility began to appear. The Pilgrim Congregational Church was dedicated in 1884, the Elyria School built in 1885 and the town trustees set aside land for a park. A desire to improve city services and negotiate water, sewer, lighting and transportation convinced a majority of villagers to vote for incorporation in August 1890. An impressive town hall and fire department was constructed in 1894 with a large auditorium where plays, concerts and boxing matches were held.

Elyria’s residents thought of their town as a suburb, but the area was surrounded by the industries that provided jobs: the smelters, railroads, stock yards and meat packing plants. Although many of its citizens were immigrants, there was no concentration of any one group and no ethnic churches.
As Denver plans to widen the highway that destroyed the neighborhood, it might be worthwhile to look at what has been lost.

*Prospectus, Denver Land and Improvement Company, Rocky Mountain News, 1880

A great book about the area is Elyria: Denver's Forgotten Suburb 1881 - 1941 by Elizabeth L. Macmillan.

Matt Sadar Saloon 3rd and Powell Streets in 1903

photo used with written permission from Joe Sadar

4601 Race Street about 1960

photo used with written permission from Betty Macmillan

Modest homes 4736 Vine Street about 1960 

photo used with written permission from Betty Macmillan