Black American West Museum & Heritage Center

Denver


This small museum provides a window into the migration of African Americans to the West, including a look at their contributions during the pioneer era – according to museum statistics, one in three Colorado cowboys were African American. There is an eye-opening exhibit on the Dearfield Colony, an exclusively African American settlement in northern Colorado (now a ghost town).

The museum is set up in the former home of Dr Justina Ford, the first licensed African American female physician in Colorado. This 19th-century home was originally located 12 blocks away. Set to be demolished, it was moved to the current location and restored in order to house the museum.


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