David Allison

BY DAVID ALLISON
History and Museum Supervisor, City and County of Broomfield

In 1975, Broomfield organized a Centennial/Bicentennial Commission that was tasked with finding ways to celebrate and commemorate the 100th anniversary of Colorado’s statehood and the 200th anniversary of the US becoming a country. 

The Commission focused first on purchasing (in conjunction with the Broomfield Jaycees) the Broomfield Depot from the Colorado and Southern Railroad and moving it to an open site near the Lac Amora development. The Depot building had been a tax burden for the Colorado and Southern since it ceased operation earlier in the 1970s, and the Jaycees were excited to preserve a “landmark” of the recently-passed history of Broomfield. The proposed park where the Depot would be located was described as “Zang Centennial Park.” Today this park is known as Zang Spur Park, with “Centennial” dropped from the name. 

The Centennial/Bicentennial Commission planned a number of events throughout the year 1976, with a big kickoff for the year occurring on Feb. 26, 1976 at Broomfield High School, with patriotic music sung by choirs, speeches, and an official designation of Broomfield as a Centennial-Bicentennial City by the State of Colorado. 

Activities culminated in Broomfield on July 4 with a large parade and the groundbreaking for the new location of the Broomfield Depot. The Honorary Queen of the Community, Viola Crooks, was honored at the parade and the opening of the Broomfield Depot. The day rounded out with a cow pie-throwing contest between the mayors of Lafayette, Louisville and Broomfield and (of course) fireworks.

Emerald Elementary also had a patriotic event at the school and created a large patchwork quilt commemorating the Bicentennial. This quilt is in the Broomfield History Collection, along with numerous other flags, memorabilia, and documents.

As 2026 and the planned activities to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Colorado statehood and the 250th anniversary of the United States round into form, it behooves us to “look back” on what our community was doing in 1976 and to know that the footprints we leave, in the way we choose to remember the past, matters for the future. 

Here are some new links and photos of objects we have in the Broomfield History Collection celebrating the 1776–1976 Bicentennial, and we’ve included some images of when Broomfield became a county in 2001. Digital newspaper clippings are from Colorado Historical Newspapers.

Newspaper articles:

• Bicentennial Ceremony in Broomfield https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=FEE19760211-01.2.6&srpos=7&e=——-en-20–1–img-txIN%7ctxCO%7ctxTA-bicentennial——-0-Broomfield—–
• President Ford Bicentennial message to Broomfield as a designated Colorado Centennial and Bicentennial City https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=FEE19760630-01.2.49&srpos=2&e=——-en-20–1–img-txIN%7ctxCO%7ctxTA-bicentennial——-0-Broomfield—–
• Photos from the Bicentennial Ceremony https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=FEE19760303-01.2.26&srpos=11&e=——-en-20–1–img-txIN%7ctxCO%7ctxTA-bicentennial——-0-Broomfield—–
• Mayor Spader’s Honor America Proclamation https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=FEE19760616-01.2.8&srpos=16&e=——-en-20–1–img-txIN%7ctxCO%7ctxTA-bicentennial——-0-Broomfield—–
• Gifts and ‘Circle of Flags’ at Depot and Zang Spur Centennial Park (Centennial Park) https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=FEE19760804-01.2.30&srpos=17&e=——-en-20–1–img-txIN%7ctxCO%7ctxTA-bicentennial——-0-Broomfield—–
• Mesa Court Bicentennial Play performed by kids https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=FEE19760707-01.2.22&srpos=21&e=——-en-20–21–img-txIN%7ctxCO%7ctxTA-bicentennial——-0-Broomfield—–
• Broomfield Bicentennial Commission plans 1975, Boccard’s ideas, Depot as vanguard of effort https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=FEE19751224-01.2.7&srpos=25&e=——-en-20–21–img-txIN%7ctxCO%7ctxTA-bicentennial——-0-Broomfield—–
• List of 4th of July activities in Broomfield, 1976 (cow chip throwing contest between mayors of Lafayette, Louisville and Broomfield) https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=TCJ19760630-01.2.2&srpos=30&e=——-en-20–21–img-txIN%7ctxCO%7ctxTA-bicentennial——-0-Broomfield—–
• Emerald Elementary celebration https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=FEE19760512-01.2.27&srpos=33&e=——-en-20–21–img-txIN%7ctxCO%7ctxTA-bicentennial——-0-Broomfield—–
• Bicentennial and International Women’s Year event https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=TCJ19750625-01.2.30&srpos=40&e=——-en-20–21–img-txIN%7ctxCO%7ctxTA-bicentennial——-0-Broomfield—–
• Photos of cow chip pitching competition https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=FEE19760707-01.2.2&srpos=52&e=——-en-20–41–img-txIN%7ctxCO%7ctxTA-bicentennial——-0-Broomfield—–
• City Council allocates $700 to save Depot for Centennial commission https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=TCJ19751126-01.2.2&e=——-en-20–41–img-txIN%7ctxCO%7ctxTA-bicentennial——-0-Broomfield—–
• Centennial Commission report—fall events 1976 https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=TCJ19760811-01.2.5&srpos=70&e=——-en-20–61–img-txIN%7ctxCO%7ctxTA-bicentennial——-0-Broomfield—–

When we think about land use and development in Broomfield, one often overlooked story is that of Coleman’s Lakeview.* Colman’s Lakeview is located just south of the railroad tracks in what is often referred to as “Old” Broomfield and holds the distinction of predating Broomfield Heights (1955) as a subdivision by more than thirty years. 

Formed in the 1910s, Colman’s Lakeview was advertised as “a home in the country with more conveniences than one in the city and at far less expense.”¹ This promotion continues by describing the new subdivision as being in “Beautiful Lakeview Valley—Formerly Broomfield (Denver’s Ideal Suburb)—You can Live here and Still do Business in the City.”

Interestingly, the “home in the country” quality of Broomfield and the ease of reaching either Boulder or Denver are the exact same features of the community that were trumpeted by Broomfield Heights’ promoters in the 1950s. The unique location of Broomfield—halfway between Boulder and Denver and in an area that maintained its agricultural character—has been a primary motivation for habitation for over a hundred years. 

The advertising for Colman’s Lakeview in the 1910s mentioned other features that would not recur in later marketing for homes in the area. The advertisement refers to the lots as “double the size of a city lot, and large enough to keep a cow, chickens, and have a garden.” By the 1950s, larger lots that were capacious enough to accommodate livestock would be perceived as a relic of a more frugal and agriculturally-focused time. 

Also noteworthy, the advertisement boasts of the location as being situated “on the lines of three railroads, the new Denver & Boulder Electric line, the Colorado & Southern and the Burlington.” And with the importance of coal as fuel for heating, the close proximity of the Monarch Mine was mentioned as providing low-cost coal for the community.

One final intriguing tidbit that the advertisers used to promote the subdivision was that “Westminster College (which will be one of the largest educational institutions in the world) is but four miles from Lakeview Valley and will add considerable [sic] to the value of Lakeview lots within a few years.” As you certainly know, Westminster College did not, in fact, become one of the largest educational institutions in the world and was shuttered during World War I due to low enrollment.²

Colman’s Lakeview lives on as the first subdivision in Broomfield. The name “Lakeview Valley” did not persist, however, and the moniker “Broomfield” stubbornly hung on despite challenges from the aforementioned Lakeview Valley and Zang’s Spur. Although Broomfield Heights effectively won the award for fastest-growing subdivision, Coleman’s Lakeview was the first and is the oldest trailblazing subdivision in Broomfield.

*As a quick sidebar, there seems to be some disagreement about the spelling of “Coleman.” We have a document in our Broomfield History Collection that refers to “Coleman’s Lakeview” as “Colman’s Lakeview,” without the “e.” 

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End Notes

1. All quotations in the article are from this advertisement, “Buy your lots now,” advertisement for Colman’s Selling Co., in what appears to be the Denver Post, c. 1915., https://hub.catalogit.app/9352/folder/entry/73859290-1ceb-11ee-b4e9-21eb93777c32.

2.“Westminster University,”Colorado Encyclopedia, accessed 15 February 2024, https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/westminster-university. 

Featured image: Ad for Colman’s Lakeview, Broomfield History Collections.