The Broomcorn Express, Quarterly Publication of the Broomfield Historical Society
Vol. 4, No. 3, July–September 2024
RAILROADS AND THE HOMESTEAD ACT
By 1869, the plains Indian tribes had been forcibly removed from their native lands, and the absence of conflict opened the way for a land rush by white settlers and town builders. The United States government purposely facilitated new settlement in the West by the Land Grant Act in 1850, which granted sections of public land on either side of rail lines to the railroads that could then be sold, and also by the Homestead Act of 1862 that gave free land to applicants who could “prove” their claim. The Civil War had delayed the building of railroads, but between 1870 and 1880, Colorado Eastern Slope railroad construction was in high gear.
The Colorado Central Railroad, built in 1873, was the first railroad in what is now Broomfield. Its plan was to run from Golden to Cheyenne, Wyoming, but it only got as far as Lyons. It was located approximately along the current south US-36 frontage road route. A strong impetus for these early railroads was to get to the mining districts to bring out ore more efficiently than by wagon train and then connect to the transcontinental railroad terminus in Cheyenne. A significant source of revenue for the railroads, however, was the sale of land from their government-issued land grants, which consisted of a strip of land from two to ten miles wide on either side of the tracts in alternate sections. The remaining sections retained by the government (some were given first to the state) were required to be sold at double the established minimum price of $1.25 per acre that had been in practice for government lands. That way, the government received the same revenue it would have if it had not made any grants to the railroads. Since they were priced as “double-minimum” lands, they were limited to 80 acres. The Gay family, mentioned in Part I, is an example of local settlers who acquired 80-acre parcels. Susan Gay received hers under the conditions of the Homestead Act. Her son, Albert, purchased his land outright.
While there had been various versions of government land programs before, the Homestead Act, signed by President Lincoln on May 27, 1862, answered the call of western pioneers who felt that the heavy cost of clearing and improving land should not be further burdened by having to pay $1.25 an acre. Proslavery southern states had resisted efforts to encourage Western growth in fear that new states would not support their interests. When the southern states withdrew from the Union, Congress could adopt a truly free land program. The Homestead Act allowed any citizen or intended citizen over 21 years of age to select any surveyed but unclaimed tract of public land up to 160 acres. The citizen then had five years to meet the required conditions before gaining title to the land. Proscribed improvements included living continuously on the property for five years, building a house, and cultivating the land. A small registration fee was also required. A homesteader could decide to purchase the land after six months for the minimum price of $1.25 an acre.
1880s BROOMFIELD AREA SETTLEMENT
William Brown, originally from England, came to Colorado in the late 1870s and worked in the Louisville, Colorado mines. Like many other miners, he decided that farming would be a better option. In 1881, he filed a “Certificate of Filing Declaration,” and then in November of 1884, he filed the formal homesteading application on 160 acres in what was to become Broomfield. The filing fee was $22.00. His farm was located in quarter section 34 at the current intersection of Wadsworth and US 36 and parts of Industrial Lane along the railroad tracts. The eastern boundary paralleled the old Denver- Cheyenne wagon road, now Hwy 287. Along with his wife, Hattie, he cultivated various crops and planted an apple orchard. By 1890, he had completed his residency requirements, and in June 1891, he submitted final proof to the regional land office.
Several of William’s neighbors acted as witnesses and provided references for his Homestead application. Frank Brown, who may have been a brother, was one. Thomas Burton (wife Sarah), also from England and a homesteader, was another. Franz Brechman (wife Anna) homesteaded the SW quarter of Section 34 immediately to the west of Brown’s farm and acted as a witness for him. In turn, Brown and Burton vouched in 1885 for Peter Scheum (wife Anna), who homesteaded 160 acres on the NE quarter of Section 34 just north of Brown’s near what is the present-day Broomfield Depot Museum. The Scheums grew oats, corn, wheat, alfalfa, clover, and garden vegetables. They also had eight horses, sixteen horned cattle, and about forty chickens. He received his title in 1891. Another neighbor who acted as a witness for Brown was August Nissen (wife Anna), who had purchased some of the land in Section 34 from the state and some in Section 25 from the railroad. His property included parts of what was to become Old Broomfield and Broomfield Heights. He raised livestock on his farm. An interesting legend about William Brown is that when the Denver, Utah & Pacific Railroad laid track through his farm in 1881,he was asked for a name for the station. Allegedly, Brown looked at the nearby fields and said, “Why not name it Broomfield?” Thus, Section 34 became Broomfield!
The mid-1880s was an active time period for land acquisition in the Broomfield area. As well as the farmer-settlers mentioned above, several others established local farms, including Patrick Keenan (wife Rose), another ex-Louisville coal miner originally from Ireland; Daniel Mitze (wife Margarethe), originally from Germany and then Kansas, who bought 160 acres from the railroad and farmed land located where Greenway Park is now; Watson Coleman (wife Julia) originally from Maine who established a dairy farm west of Coleman’s; and most notably, Adolph J. Zang.
Adolph’s father, Phillip Zang, had originally come to Colorado in 1870 to mine gold but quickly reverted to his original profession of brewer, working for the Rocky Mountain Brewery in Denver. After a few years, he bought out the owner and established the Zang Brewing Company. It became the largest beer producer west of the Missouri River. Adolph and his father invested in many other enterprises, such as mining, railroads, banking, and real estate. The latter included a 3,600-acre property north of Denver called the Elmwood Stock Farm. Adolph, along with some other investors, purchased most of the railroad land in Sections 25, 27, and 35 for reportedly $7.00 an acre. This Broomfield ranch supplied grain for the Zang brewery in Denver, planted orchards and elm trees, and famously raised prized Percheron horses. Large barns for the horses were located on 6th Avenue. The property along the tracks by the silos and train depot became known as “Zang’s Spur.” The name was changed in 1887 to Broomfield. Produce from the ranch and area farms would be loaded and shipped out by train from there. Some of the ranch- occupied area is now Industrial Lane, Rocky Mountain Airport and the Great Western Reservoir. The land was sold in 1947 to L.A. Biddle and then to the Turnpike Land Company for the development of Broomfield Heights.
1890s BROOMFIELD SETTLEMENT
In 1891, Harry Crawford purchased a few acres from Adolph Zang near the current intersection of US 287 and CO 121. He was a long-time beekeeper, shipping honey out by rail from his “Honey House” located along the train tracks. This structure has been restored and can be visited at the Broomfield Depot Museum site. Harry Crawford also served as Broomfield’s postmaster. At the time, approximately twenty-five families lived in the area. 1892 saw the addition of the Wright and Lonight families, who both purchased land from the Zang holdings. The Wrights operated a cheese and dairy business producing cheese, cream cheese, buttermilk, and butter. Edgar Jones, who also later became the Broomfield postmaster, arrived in 1885. Jesse and Anna Crooks, along with their children, moved into a house built for them on the Church ranch that year. Jesse worked as a foreman for the Church ranch but later moved to an 80-acre farm east of Sheridan Boulevard. He was the first to grow winter wheat. Before a grain mill was built in Broomfield, the grain was shipped to the Hungarian Mills in Denver for processing. In 1896, a farmer named Raggner homesteaded 180 acres west of US 287 and South Teller Street. It later became the Olsen place. Peter Olsen and Louise Malholm, originally from Denmark, arrived in 1899 to farm 80 acres on the corner of Main and Hwy 287. They raised cattle and planted apple, plum, and cherry orchards.
The railroads played a large part in the development of this region, actively enticing settlers to come, both as purchasers of their land grants and as future shipping customers. They advertised heavily both in the states and Europe, promising fertile land and guaranteed access to markets and other amenities. The Homestead Act offered the security of one’s own home and farm. The reality was that farming in this area was very challenging due to scarce water, extreme climate events, grasshopper swarms, and the cost of setting up a farm. It also became apparent that, unlike the East, 160 acres was not sufficient for agriculture or stock raising in this arid region. The homesteader had to purchase the materials and tools to build a house and plow the fields: a wagon, draft animals, seed, and fencing. If the first year’s crop was unsuccessful, he could find himself in serious debt, or worse, losing everything. Then there were the often extremely high shipping costs charged by the railroads. It was much easier for those like the Zangs who already had wealth and could easily afford the costs involved, including hiring others to work for them. Many who started out as homesteaders sold out and moved on. Despite the difficulties and challenges of the early years, these hardy, persistent souls and their families laid the foundation of a community that was to go on to become the successful and attractive city that Broomfield is now.
Sources:
Broomfield Historical Society. Oral History Nights (Bob Kozisek Transcript). August 18, 1987.
Lamar, Howard, ed. The Reader’s Encyclopedia of the American West. New York, Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1977.
Limerick, Patricia Nelson. The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1987.
Muhn, James. Correspondence related to the Bureau of Land Management. Muhn Consulting. February & March, 2024.
Pettem, Silva. Broomfield Changes Through Time. Longmont, CO: The Book Lode, 2001.
Spitler, Laura L., and Lou Walther. Gem of the Mountain Valley: A History of Broomfield. Boulder, Broomfield Centennial—Bicentennial Commission, 1975.
Turner, Carol. Legendary Locals of Broomfield, Colorado. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2014.
Ubbelohde, Carl, Maxine Benson, and Duane A. Smith. A Colorado History, 9th ed. Boulder: Pruett Publishing Company, 2006.
Featured image: Ken1843@Pixabay.com