The Broomcorn Express, Quarterly Publication of the Friends of Broomfield History
Vol. 4, No. 2, April–June 2024
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.”
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.