Broomcorn Express

BY FORMER BROOMFIELD MAYOR, PATRICK QUINN

Broomfield’s admirable commitment to preserving open space started in a field. The property now affectionately referred to as “the Field” consists of 115 acres east of Main Street where the famed Brunner Farmhouse now sits. The land had originally been zoned for 2,120 housing units, but in 1980 the property was rezoned to allow a Western Electric Training Facility. Western Electric and stakeholders had envisioned a campus-like facility with a few buildings surrounded by a sea of open lands, but that was not meant to be. 

In 1992 the Field was optioned to a real estate development company who presented the city with plans for 433 single family homes. The response to the development, and the Field’s ultimate acquisition in 1997, changed Broomfield’s character forever and led to Broomfield’s ambitious 40 percent open lands goal. 

Fast forward to 2018, Money Magazine named Broomfield the 18th best place to live in the U.S. saying the city boasts 10 parks, four trail systems and a variety of green spaces with ponds, fishing decks and outdoor art exhibits.

This article is the story of the Field. 

EARLY YEARS

The origins of modern Broomfield go back to the development of Broomfield Heights in 1956. It was a master-planned bedroom community in every sense of the word. As Carol Turner wrote in her book, Legendary Locals of Broomfield,  “The postwar transition from farm community to city was relatively swift. A new generation of young families began arriving, purchasing brand-new homes, often via the GI Bill. There was no city government, no infrastructure, no community services, so the citizens created these things themselves.” 

In 1951, Bal Swan was President of Empire Savings and Loan and was the brainchild and founder of the Turnpike Land Company which developed Broomfield Heights. In 1955, Time Magazine wrote about the Broomfield Heights plan “… to build a $100 million model community of 6,000 brick houses, shopping centers, parks, schools and churches outside of town, along the turnpike running between Boulder and Denver.”  

At the time, Bal Swan and his partner Aksel Nielsen were friends with President Dwight Eisenhower who became an investor in the project. Swan and Nielsen “… were joint owners of the ranch where Ike trout fishes.” reported Time in its article on Broomfield Heights. Broomfield’s library was named after Ike’s wife Mamie Doud. 

The residents of Broomfield Heights started creating necessary infrastructures almost immediately, incorporating as a city in 1961. Mayors and City Councils were elected and the town grew in size and population. 

RAPID DEVELOPMENT

Prior to 1993, City Council tended to approve residential development after residential development: Broomfield Heights filing numbers one and two, Lac Amora, Northmoor Estates, Greenway Park, Gate N Green, Westlake Village, among others. 

So Broomfield grew, expanding from Boulder County into Adams, Jefferson and Weld counties over the years. The population grew to 7,281 in 1970; 20,730 in 1980 and 24,638 in 1990, an increase of 238% in some twenty years. Whereas Colorado’s population increased 49% during the same period and, Boulder County, which grew even faster, increased 71%. To be sure, the residents of Broomfield were feeling the pressure and consequences of rapid growth. 

The undeveloped Field was surrounded by single family homes from Broomfield Heights to Northmoor and Highland Park South. Broomfield had become known as a “bedroom community” where citizens lived but did not work. According to George DiCiero, City Manager from 1968 to 2011, in the early years the city was delighted to get a McDonalds, as the city had virtually no sales tax base. And like elsewhere, sales taxes are the life blood of cities in Colorado.

Broomfield’s original town hall was located in the Garden Center, off Highway 287 and Midway Boulevard. By 1989 the city had outgrown its town hall and was actively searching for a new location.

Broomfield sought to acquire 27.736 acres from Betawest (owned by U.S. West, an entity spun off from ATT in the 1980s) for its new City Hall as Western Electric had announced they had abandoned plans to build a training center in Broomfield.

Not only was Betawest willing to sell the site for a new town hall, but it offered to sell the City of Broomfield the entire parcel, a total of 167 acres for $2.9 million. 

However, the city didn’t have the wherewithal to purchase the entire 167 acres, so they declined to purchase the rest of the site. 

In a letter sent to Betawest’s legal firm Otten Johnson, dated November 17, 1989, the City Attorney’s office offered to purchase 27.736 acres for $19,000 per acre and stated, “Council is not interested in purchasing the entire 167 acres, nor is it willing to discuss land uses on the remaining property …”

CHALLENGING THE TOWN AND COUNTRY VILLAGES DEVELOPMENT

Not surprisingly, Betawest put the balance of their property on the market. They optioned the property in 1992 to Johnson Development Company (“Johnson”). 

In Colorado, quasi-judicial processes for land use decisions are legal proceedings in which city councils act in a capacity similar to a court. City councils apply existing laws, building codes and land use regulations to specific facts when a development is proposed. Broomfield requires the developer to first get the approval of Planning and Zoning Commission (“P and Z”) and then the City Council that has a prescribed public hearing process. Council’s decision to approve or deny a development application has profound implications and the applicant, who can, if denied, appeal to the Courts. So the process is prescribed to ensure the council has been presented with the information it needs to make a decision in a balanced matter. 

Often developers will test the waters first to see if a city is receptive to their proposed development and in particular if they are proposing variances from existing codes, rules and regulations. Broomfield process includes a “concept review”  where a developer can have a joint study session with the P and Z and city council at the same time. The development process is very expensive. The direct and indirect costs include environmental, traffic and other studies along with elaborate planning documents, summing to the hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

Johnson tested the waters at a Concept Review in the fall of 1992 and made their initial, informal presentation to P and Z on October 5, 1992. According to the October 8, 1992, Broomfield Enterprise newspaper, “… the Denver firm’s plans for 450 upscale homes on 140 acres in the center of Broomfield seemed to impress the commissioners.”  Michael A. Beitzel of Downing, Thorpe & James Inc., representing Johnson at the P and Z meeting, presented the plans. In his summary of the project he presented the vision of “Midway as a meandering, scenic parkway-type arterial, with abundant landscaping, a desire expressed by commissioners and council members and Broomfield Mayor Bob Schulze at a recent joint session.”  The article also states, “… the development includes a 20-acre park in the northeast … with a greenbelt winding through the property …”  Beitzel went on to say, “We’re excited about this, we’re aware this is a key piece of property in Broomfield.”  

After the October 1992 Planning and Zoning (P and Z) meeting, arguably, Johnson had a green light to fully prepare development plans to formally submit their plan to the city for approval. At the public hearing in 1993 Johnson Development Company said they had spent $325,000 on the studies and planning documents for Town and Country.

At the close of October 1992 P and Z meeting, Beitzel said that “If the public hearing and approval process goes smoothly, construction will begin next spring.”  

Johnson formally submitted their plans for the development later in the fall of 1992. 

After rigorous staff reviews, formal development plans are then submitted to the P and Z for their approval.

On January 18, 1993, P and Z held a formal public hearing for the now 433-unit Town and Country Villages Development. Plans were moving along. 

The January 21, 1993, Broomfield Enterprise article on the meeting began with this: “Neighborhood opposition to the planned Town and Country Villages subdivision was near complete Tuesday. Sixteen of 17 people addressing the P and Z voiced complaints about 433 upscale homes proposed for a 125-acre parcel east of Main Street. However, the five commissioners present, after devoting four and a half hours to the Johnson Development Co. application, unanimously recommended approval, suggesting the City Council might appease some who expressed their distaste for the development. If this week’s hearing was any indication, council members should brace for a long night Feb 9, when they are to consider the zoning request.”  

Steve Waldman, the Enterprise reporter wrote a follow-up article for the Enterprise that was published on February 4. According to the article the “… sixteen Broomfield residents that spoke out against the plan for a wide spectrum of reasons –overcrowded schools, traffic and the need for open
space …”  

According to the article, Councilmember Bob Sakaguchi seemed to support the development as he expressed legitimate concerns about the “… lack of housing quality in our community … to continue attracting corporate citizens such as Hunter Douglas, a wide variety of adequate housing must be available.”  Council member Bill Berens was quoted as saying “I think the city budget is such that it’s going to be very hard, if not impossible, to purchase raw open space.”

The February 9th meeting of the City Council would be a public hearing, the final part of the quasi-judicial process. Public hearings start with staff presenting the applicant’s plans and opening a discussion of the variances requested. The applicant then has a chance to present, and then the public has a right to comment on the proposed application. Finally, the Council has a chance to ask questions of staff, the developer, and others before they deliberate and vote on the application. Public hearings for development applications can range in length from an hour to several hours, but the City had never experienced the interest and dissension the Town and Country Villages application would encounter.

So, on February 9, City Manager George DiCiero presented the Staff’s summary of the development. Planning Director Kirk Oglesby reviewed the history of the property and presented an overview of the proposed development plan. Community Development Director James Black discussed the Traffic Impact Analysis, noting that traffic on Main Street and Midway Boulevard will exceed the Master Plan estimated volumes. Don Orr, Director of Planning, Boulder Valley Schools District, discussed current school enrollment capacities and the anticipated impact of the project. He stated that the District expects a classroom shortage. 

Mike Beitzel again represented Johnson at the public hearing emphasizing the quality of the development, including a framework of open space features, as he had to P and Z.

As expected during public comments, twenty-five residents spoke that night in opposition to the development. According to the Minutes of that evening, the opponents cited “concerns about the impacts of this development, including school overcrowding, increased traffic and air pollution … Many of the speakers noted the wildlife currently inhabiting the property and urged that the City preserve this property as open space.”  All of the opponents were residents of Broomfield. Paul Walover, Burns Errebo and Gordon McKellar would later help form Broomfield Citizens for Parks and Open Space. 

Four citizens spoke in favor of “well-planned growth, and the need for residential growth to attract retail and business development and to expand the tax base.”  Speakers in favor included Clif Harald, Executive Director Broomfield Economic Development Corporation, Jack Terhar, Jr. owner of the Ford Dealership in Broomfield, David Smith Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce.

Not surprising, the desire to be heard was so great that the comment period went past midnight. The council continued the public hearing to February 19th at the larger Lakeshore Room in the Broomfield Senior Center. 

The public hearing was reopened on Friday February 19 at the Lakeshore Room. According to the February 19th Minutes, over 50 residents spoke in opposition to the proposed development citing and expanding on the previous opposing comments that were made on February 9. According to the Minutes, people expressed “… objections to private development of this property versus acquisition … for open space and/or parks … impacts on the wetlands area and local wildlife… general concerns about the effect of continued growth on Broomfield’s “quality of life” and “unique community identity.” Many of the speakers—George Brandt, Marlene Erickson, Dena Brinkman, Carrie and Thelma Banschbach—were or would become active in the Broomfield open space community, serving on ad-hoc and formal city-formed committees.

Only sixteen citizens spoke in favor of the project primarily representing the Broomfield business community including a banker, realtors and owners of construction companies. 

Once again, the public comments continued past midnight, and the Public Hearing was continued to the February 23, 1993 regular city council meeting where several citizens opposed the plan, and other citizens spoke in favor. 

Tyler Johnson strongly defended Johnson on February 23. They had spent 8 months with City Staff, the P and Z, and adjacent property owners. “Neighbors within 500 feet of the property were invited to a meeting which was well attended, and they also conducted follow-up meetings” with property owners adjacent to the project. He noted that the P and Z “… unanimously recommended approval of the Plan with six conditions which the Applicant has now met.” It was noted that Johnson had an investment of $325,000 in developing and presenting the application. 

The Public Hearing was closed at 11:30 p.m. The City Council then began their deliberations on this controversial project. And once again the consideration of the Town and Country Application was continued to March 2nd, 1993. City Council adjourned at 1:55 a.m.

With the Public Hearing closed, the purpose of the March 2 meeting was to answer any additional questions and proceed to Council’s findings and decisions made as a quasi-judicial body.

Prior to the Council business meeting on March 2nd, Council held an Executive Session which is allowed for seeking legal advice from the City Attorney, Roy Howard. At this point the Council knew there was a possibility that the application for Town and Country would be denied. Council can deny applications only under certain circumstances, which, as mentioned, can be challenged in court. 

Indeed, the application was denied because it did not meet the City’s Planned Unit Development (PUD) plan review standards. The motion to deny listed 13 separate findings of fact to support the denial including failure to meet standards for traffic, lack of compatibility of adjacent land uses, overcrowding of the public schools serving Town and Country, lack of provision for recreational and educational facilities,  and negative impacts on wildlife.

The motion to deny was approved 6 to 3. Councilmembers Sakaguchi and Berens had been persuaded; they voted to deny.

The Broomfield Enterprise March 4, 1993 edition summarized it this way: “After absorbing many arduous hours of testimony from the public, the vast majority of it in opposition—the Johnson Development Co and city staff, the council took only minutes to knock out Town and Country Villages, nixing the rezoning of the request and site plan.”  Councilmember Larry Cooper was quoted as saying, “I think the Council really made a statement about quality of life in Broomfield.”

Charles Ozaki, the Deputy City manager in 1993,  remembers the denial of the Town and Country development in an April 4, 2018 panel discussion: “It was quite the experience, a 20-hour meeting over 3 days … We had to move the meeting to the Lakeshore Room at the Senior Center to accommodate all who wanted to participate.”  

NOT WITHOUT A FIGHT

As expected, almost immediately, on March 31, 1993, Betawest and Johnson filed a lawsuit against the City of Broomfield challenging the denial of the Town and Country development.

Many of the citizens that lobbied City Council now became activists. George Brandt, Marlene Erickson, Burns Errebo and Paul Walover formed the Broomfield Citizens for Parks and Open Space (BCPOS) in 1993 which was a campaign committee organized to pass two ballot initiatives placed on the ballot by City Council for the November 1993 election. The first issue was a sales tax of .25 of 1% or twenty five cents for a $100 purchase. The second issue was to allow the City to issue bonds to purchase the Field, with the approved sales tax to repay principal and interest. 

Marlene and Rick Erickson moved to Broomfield from Baltimore so Rick, a Kaiser Permante doctor, could be close to his work. Marlene opposed Town and Country because “the mass of humanity in that location seemed overwhelming.”  Burns Errebo recruited her to the BCPOS to be on the “t-shirt” committee.

At the April 4th panel discussion, Rick Erickson stated he had gotten involved in BCPOS after looking over Marlene’s shoulder and noticing that BCPOS was in the red. He told Marlene, “You need help.”  All the campaign funds were in t-shirts, and not that many had been sold. 

Rick also stated that the “Blue Book” which explains ballot initiatives to citizens had a critical error in calculating the cost of the tax per household. 

The ballot to increase bonding capacity passed, but the sales tax increase did not. It failed by 28 votes out of 5,282 votes cast. 

Erickson recruited residents Ellie McKinley, Jean Patterson, and Gordon McKellar to help in his effort to pass two new issues to be placed on the 1994 ballot. 

McKinley and Patterson were longtime friends. 

Patterson moved to Broomfield in 1969 when her husband was transferred to Western Electric on 120th Avenue. Patterson “… fell in love with the Field, as open space, didn’t want it cut up and covered. The Field could become our Central Park.” It was her opinion that the 1993 campaign efforts “… weren’t very organized.”   

McKinley moved to Broomfield in 1967. Her dad was born in the same town where Patterson grew up. McKinley’s Dad was a “tremendous volunteer.”  Volunteering became McKinley’s passion as well. McKinley, who is often referred to as the “Queen” of Broomfield open space, first got involved in open space because of the 1993 battle to save the Field. 

McKinley was the “money tree shaker” of the three. According to campaign finance reports BCPOS raised $4,191, with over $2,000 going to ads in the Broomfield Enterprise. 

CAMPAIGNING FOR OPEN SPACE

But more importantly, as McKinley stated in a July 29, 2021 interview, “We were battling against some very influential people, including the Board of Realtors and Chamber of Commerce, so we did everything in the books. Nobody worked as hard as we did to get something passed. We divided the City into several sections and assigned volunteers to each section, which made it very, very personal. We didn’t leave a brochure without making personal contact first.” The admittedly clever slogan of the campaign became, “Keep the Field in Broomfield.”

Also, the four of them sent out several newsletters to educate the public and make sure they had the facts on the upcoming two ballot initiatives. 

There had been opposition to the 1993 ballot initiative by members of the parks and recreational community, so in 1994 it was agreed to split the increase in sales tax: “80% of the proceeds of the increase to be spent for the acquisition of land for open space and 20% of the proceeds of the increase to be spent on acquisition of lands for parks and for park development.” 

Council agreed to place two new issues on the 1994 ballot: issue 2B, which was the increase in sales tax, and issue 2C, which was for the issuance of $5,740,000 in parks and open space bonds. The sales tax was to be sunset after 21 years.

In the meantime, according to the May 19, 1994 Enterprise, Johnson submitted plans for a revised, smaller Town and Country Development. And the lawsuit advanced in the Courts. 

On June 14, 1994, the Courts ruled against Johnson and in favor of the City. The Broomfield Enterprise article on the ruling stated: “A yearlong Town and Country lawsuit against the city of Broomfield has been partially resolved in the city’s favor.” Boulder District Judge Morris Sandsted Jr. Ruled, “The City Council’s findings and subsequent decision to deny the Town and Country development were supported by the facts presented.”  The article quotes City Attorney Roy Howard as saying, “The principal issue of the case has been resolved. The question is whether the attorneys want to proceed on the remaining issues.”

Also different in 1994 was that a citizens’ Open Space Committee prepared a list of top ten sites that would be acquired for open space/parks if funds were available.

Auto dealer Jack Terhar opposed the 1993 ballot initiatives and said in a Letter to the Editor the weekend before the 1994 election, “As a Broomfield businessman and citizen I hate tax increases. However, this current proposal for open space … is one I can support based upon quality of life for all citizens of our community . … The current proposal identifies 10 locations throughout our community that would be easy for everyone who is interested in access.”

In a 2021 interview, McKinley stated, “There was no party on election night. Erickson and Patterson went over to City Hall to look at results. When Westlake went for it, we knew we had won. We did not celebrate because we were so tired.”

On November 8, 1994, Broomfield Ballot issues 2B and 2C pass decisively.

However, the battle for the Field was not over. There was still a court case pending and the City needed to “condemn” the property and establish a fair price before the acquisition could be completed. 

In December 1994, Johnson asked the court to set a trial date and the City Council voted to condemn the north parcel allowing acquisition of the Field through using the City’s eminent domain powers. In April 1995, the City Council voted to condemn the south parcel. 

The lawsuit was dismissed by the Courts on September 27, 1995 but it still took nearly two years to finalize the purchase. Finally, on April 4, 1997, the 115-acre Field was formally purchased by the City of Broomfield for $4.6 million.

LOOKING BACK AT HOW FAR WE’VE COME

It is interesting to note that a 167-acre property was offered to the city in 1989 for $17,500 per acre, and after the city said no, 125 acres were optioned to a developer in 1992 whose proposed project was, in turn, denied in 1993. The city purchased 115 of those acres, known as the Field, for $40,000 per acre 8 years after rejecting Betawest’s offer.

The difference was determined citizens taking the initiative to purchase the Field by showing up in force at City Hall and then deciding to pass a tax on themselves to make it happen.

This battle forever changed the character of Broomfield. The 1995 Master Plan update included the formidable goal of 40% open lands at build out for the city. It’s been a long, arduous and worthy battle. Here we are in 2025, and Broomfield is close to achieving that goal. 

The Battle for the Field Bibliography

1. Money Magazine August 28, 2018

2. Legendary Locals of Broomfield by Carol Turner published 2014

3. BizWest: Milestones ICON: BalSwan September 19, 2011

4. Staff Memo dated October 12, 1999 Timeline

5. Broomfield Enterprise October 8, 1992

6. Broomfield Enterprise January 21, 1993

7. Broomfield Enterprise February 4, 1993

8. Broomfield Enterprise March 4, 1993

9. Broomfield Enterprise May 19, 1994

10. Broomfield Enterprise June 30, 1994

11. City Council minutes February 9, 1993

12. City Council minutes February 19, 1993

13. City Council minutes February 23, 1993

14. City Council minutes March 2, 1993

15. Panel discussion April 4, 2018,  https://youtu.be/wExe1hQHJnk

16. BCPOS minutes dated September 27, 1993

17. BCPOS Report of Contributions and Expenditures December 2, 1994

18. Zoom video meeting July, 29, 2021with Pat Quinn interviewing Jean Patterson and Ellie McKinley

19. November 8, 1994 Ballot

20. Memo from Kristan Pritz dated August 27, 2021

Dec 2025 | The Battle for the Field, Part 2

Note: All photos are from the author’s personal collection.

“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” – Susan Sontag

“Yesterday don’t matter if it’s gone.” – from Ruby Tuesday by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards

The County of Broomfield is a recent creation, only dating back to 2001. Much of Broomfield’s development is associated with the construction of the Broomfield Heights subdivision in the mid 1950s, but it should be obvious that people lived and worked here well before that time. This article is an attempt to provide a bit of an overview of the places—where yesterday is still on view—that provide historical context of the development of the area over time, focusing on public and commercial structures. This tour starts in southwest Broomfield, and roughly goes clockwise around the county until it ends in the south just over the county line in Westminster.

Great Western Reservoir, (constructed 1903 to 1911)
Located on the far southwest side of Broomfield, this manmade lake along Walnut Creek was originally built to provide irrigation water to the Zang Ranch. It became the primary water supply to Broomfield as development of Broomfield Heights proceeded in the mid-1950s. Following detection of contamination by plutonium in runoff from the Rocky Flats nuclear facility to the west, it ceased to be used for drinking water. The reservoir sits within open space and currently is used to supply irrigation water for Broomfield and other communities along the Front Range.

The first Maime Doud Eisenhower Library (1963)

A building off Midway located within the Garden Center complex currently houses the Veterans Museum but it was built as the first Eisenhower Library. The land for the library was donated by Axel Nielson and Bal Swan of the Turnpike Land Company. At their request, the library’s name was changed from the Broomfield Public Library to the Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library to honor the former first lady. They had originally wanted to name it after the president, but he declined and asked that it be named after his wife instead. She donated a collection of books from her family’s home in Denver to the library which  can be seen in glass cases on the second floor of the current library building. Both she and the former president came to the dedication of the building.

Broomfield Heights (~1955)

The former Zang ranch was sold to the Turnpike Land Company, who had a plan to create a city by the Turnpike with activity kicking off in 1955 offering the promise of high-class country living. The development would have water from the Great Western Reservoir and initiated work on other utilities. Originally called the Broomfield Hills development with plans to build around 1000 homes associated with their First Filing for permits, but the development’s name was quickly changed to Broomfield Heights. Broomfield Heights was the first significant planned community to be built in Broomfield.

Location: Northwest from the intersection of Main Street and East First Avenue

Railroad Depot (1909)

The railroad depot was built by the Colorado & Southern Railway (C&S) in 1909 at a time when there were only 160 town residents. The Broomfield depot was used as a stop by both the C&S and the Denver & Interurban Railroad’s trams connecting Denver and Boulder. The depot had living quarters for the station agent and his family. The depot itself was closed in 1967 and moved from its original location in Old Broomfield to its current site at Zang Spur Park on February 18, 1976. The depot building has been a history museum since 1982. 

Crawford Honey House (1905)

The Crawford Honey House was a commercial building used for the sale and shipping of honey. It was operated by beekeeper Harry Crawford, one of Broomfield’s early pioneers, who had moved to Broomfield from Ohio in 1891. 

The Honey House was part of a cluster of businesses and homes around 120th Avenue and the railroad tracks that later became known as “Old Broomfield.” Neighboring enterprises included: a cheese manufacturer (Robert & Mary Wright); dairy (Watson Colman); blacksmith (Henry & Anna Naeve); flour & feed mill (Ralph & Allice Colman); and railroad agent, general merchandise dealer & postmistress (H.H. & Florence Graves). 

Harry Crawford purchased his property from the Zang holdings and used it to maintain 500 bee colonies. The honey was put in containers and shipped by train to Denver. Its quality was recognized when he received a silver medal for his comb honey at the 1904 World’s Fair held in St. Louis. 

Shep’s Grave (1964)

Shep was a stray dog that had wandered into the toll booth structure along the Denver-Boulder Turnpike and came to stay. He was cared for by the toll booth workers and became a local attraction at a time when cars had to stop in Broomfield and pay their fee. The dog lived in the toll booth area from 1950 to 1964. Initially he was buried next to the highway, but later his grave was relocated and maintained now in a new location next to the Depot Museum.

Colorado Milling & Elevator (1916)

This highly visible reminder of Old Broomfield’s agricultural days sits beside the railroad tracks on West 120th Avenue. The Colorado Milling & Elevator Company was run by J.K. Mullen of Denver who bought the land and hired Fred Harrison to manage the operation. It is a rare example of a steel plate grain elevator. Mullen was famous for producing Hungarian High-Altitude Flour. (The “Hungarian” part of the name comes from the process used to mill the flour, which was developed in Hungary in the 1800’s & used in Colorado by J.K. Mullen’s mills starting in 1875 and is still used on some flour. The flour is milled from hard wheat from Colorado, the Dakotas, and Montana, so the “high altitude” refers to where the grain is from.)¹ 

Coors Grain Elevator (~ 1916-1920)

Locally known as the Coors Grain Elevator, it has had its name changed multiple times. It appears to have begun as Ralph Colman’s Silver Standard Flour and Feed Mill, then Nissen’s Broomfield Feed Mill & Elevator, and then became the Longmont Farmer’s Milling and Elevator Company’s Broomfield Elevator. It is taller than the Colorado Milling & Elevator & has flat sides and is clad in corrugated sheet metal. 

Broomfield State Bank (1921)

The first bank in Broomfield was built in 1921 and was called the Broomfield State Bank. It was located at 7905 W. 120th Ave in a building that still exists. The bank lasted only 11 years but could not survive the declining incomes of local farmers through the Depression. However, the bank is historic for having been robbed twice in the time before Broomfield had a police force. A robbery in 1929 lost $2000 to a man “arriving in a blue sedan driven by a fashionably dressed woman”: the culprit was never caught.²  A second robbery happened in 1930 with the robber apprehended after a car crash and wrestling match with police in Denver.

Crescent Grange (1916)

This clapboard building represents the symbolic center of the Old Broomfield farming community. The building has undergone few changes since its original construction and is a good example of a wood frame building with elements of Greek Revival architecture.³  It was an important community social gathering place for community meetings and dances.

Lakeview Cemetery (1890)

The original cemetery for the Broomfield area, it appears to have started in operation in 1890. Although only 42 gravestones are still there, the actual number buried there is likely to be about 125 to 140 with the last interment in 1959. A marker installed in 2013 names the individuals who are documented to be buried there.⁴

Brunner Farmhouse (1908)

The Brunner Farmhouse was originally located at 120th Ave and Sheridan and was donated to the city for historic preservation. Its current location along Main Street adjacent to The Field open space was land from a different farm owned by the Kozisek family. When the 1908 house was moved to its current location in 1998, parts of the interior were damaged and needed to be restored. The building itself became a designated historic building in 2007 and is used as a meeting place for non-profit groups while the surrounding gardens are open to the public.

Brozovich Beacon (2012)

The Beacon is a piece of public art designed by sculptor Tim Upham. It is 27 feet high and sits in a small community park beside a lake near Anthem Ranch. The City Council approved spending $46,900 for the work- which is both lighted as well as a kinetic sculpture that turns in the wind. The piece is named for the Brozovich family that had done dry wheat farming at the site. The city’s Public Art Committee at the time had chosen a theme of “Earth Meets Water, Mountains Meet Plains, and Past Meets Future” that proposed projects needed to adhere to—which still resonates well about Broomfield today.

Westlake School (1902)

Built in 1902, this brick building stayed in use as a school until 1990. When it opened it supported 48 students from first to eighth grades and served as a community center. In the 1930s, it was one of the first schools to offer a hot lunch to students. Safety concerns about limited exit doors forced its closure in 1952, but the needs of the growing Broomfield population drove its reopening as a middle school. Before its final closure it also served as a high school and preschool.⁵

Metzger Farmhouse (~1800)

Located on the eastern border of Broomfield with Westminster, sits an intact example of a mid-century farm. It is named for John Metzger, a Denver lawyer who served as Colorado’s attorney general and bought the property in 1943. The buildings are architecturally important examples of the Colonial Revival style. The farmhouse itself was constructed in the 1800s, but was extensively remodeled and expanded by the Metzger’s in the 1950s. In 2013 the site was added to The National Register of Historic Places and the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties⁶.

1st Bank Center (2006)

This imposing structure that was part of Broomfield’s more recent history won’t be preserved. Opened at the end of 2006 as the Broomfield Event Center, then relabeled the Odeum Colorado, the building currently named the 1st Bank Center has a highly visible location along Highway 36 at the eastern edge of the Arista development. The building was designed by Sink Combs Dethlefs, prominent large structure architects who are still quite active along the Front Range. It is due to be demolished 17 years after it was built due to its high costs to maintain and its inability to attract enough business compared to other similar venues around Denver.  

Church Stagecoach Well (1864)

Located just South of the Broomfield border in Westminster in Jefferson County, is a well which is believed to date to 1864 that was used to provide water at a for stagecoach stop for animals and people on the property of homesteaders George and Sarah Church. It is the only surviving remnant of Church’s Crossing Stage Stop, which operated until 1869 and was mostly destroyed by fire in the 1920s.⁷

End of the Tour

That concludes our tour, and hopefully sheds some light on the cultural heritage of Broomfield through the remaining visual reminders of Old Broomfield and its agricultural services past along West 120th Avenue, and on to the turnpike, schools and library associated with supporting the Broomfield Heights planned subdivision. They help us remember that there were  people, activities, and industries which were once core to Broomfield’s development, even though their time may have passed. Perhaps most importantly in an area still seeing active new growth and development, these old structures make us look different than surrounding communities in Boulder, Jefferson, Weld, and Adams counties by enhancing the distinctiveness of Broomfield and creating a sense of place beyond just a collection of subdivisions. Promoting awareness of the existence and location of these landmarks that honestly look nothing like modern construction serves as a first step in understanding their value to us today. When light rail finally makes its way here, it will probably follow the same railroad path that led to the development of Old Broomfield. We can imagine it may trigger renewed interest and a resurgence in a historic part of town that recently has been largely bypassed that still has remaining original structures.

Endnotes

1. “Hungarian Unbleached All-purpose – Sourdough Home,” n.d. https://www.sourdoughhome.com/hungarian-bleached-all-purpose/.

2. Enterprise, Broomfield. “On History: Broomfield State Bank Saw Two Robberies in Its Brief Life.” Broomfield Enterprise, May 16, 2010. https://www.broomfieldenterprise.com/2010/05/16/on-history-broomfield-state-bank-saw-two-robberies-in-its-brief-life/.

3. Corbett, Kathleen, Daniel Shosky, Thomas Witt, Nelson Klitzka, Elizabeth Kreider, Sean Doyle, and Kathryn Dunn. “Survey of Historic Buildings within the 120th Avenue Corridor and Broomfield Heights Filing 1, Broomfield County, Colorado.” Broomfield.org, July 2009. Accessed April 6, 2024. https://www.broomfield.org/DocumentCenter/View/26950/2009-Survey—120th-Avenue-Corridor-and-Broomfield-Heights.

4. Enterprise, Broomfield. “Lakeview Cemetery Memorial Pays Tribute to Broomfield’S Early Residents.” Broomfield Enterprise, May 13, 2013. https://www.broomfieldenterprise.com/2013/05/13/lakeview-cemetery-memorial-pays-tribute-to-broomfields-early-residents/.

5. “Westlake School | Colorado Encyclopedia,” n.d. https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/westlake-school.

6. “Metzger Farm | History Colorado,” March 20, 2013. https://www.historycolorado.org/location/metzger-farm.

7. Caldwell, Patrick. “Church’s Stage Stop Well Landmarked in 2015,” 2015. https://historicjeffco.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/hjlandmarkchurchs-2015.pdf.