Oliver Toussaint Jackson

Oliver Toussaint Jackson

Oliver Toussaint Jackson (April 6, 1862 – February 8, 1948) was an American businessman and entrepreneur, who, inspired by Booker T. Washington's autobiography Up from Slavery, formed Dearfield, Colorado, a self-sufficient agricultural settlement for black Americans. Prior to this venture, Jackson was a successful owner of several restaurant and catering businesses in Denver and Boulder.

Early life

Oliver Toussaint Jackson was born on April 6, 1862, in Oxford, Ohio. He was one of six children to Hezekiah Jackson and his wife Caroline, both of whom were former slaves.[1] In 1887, Jackson relocated to Denver, Colorado, where he worked as a caterer; two years later, he married Sarah "Sadie" Cook, the sister of his brother James's wife and the paternal aunt[2] of composer Will Marion Cook.[1][3] By 1894, the couple lived on a farm near Boulder, and Jackson operated several successful eateries and catering businesses in the area—‌including Stillman Café and Ice Cream Parlor, Chautauqua Dining Hall, and a popular seafood restaurant.[1]

Dearfield

Jackson's first wife either died or the couple divorced in the early 1900s. Subsequently, he remarried to schoolteacher Minerva J. Matlock in 1905 and returned to Denver to work as a messenger for Colorado governors.[1] There, Jackson read Booker T. Washington's autobiography Up from Slavery (1901), becoming enamoured with Washington's socio-political stance on black land ownership.[4] Jackson fully embraced Washington's views and lobbied Governor John Franklin Shafroth for support of his plan for an agricultural settlement for black Americans.[1]

In 1909, Jackson purchased 320 acres of land in Weld County and modeled the community after Union Colony, founded in 1870.[1] A year later, Jackson's agricultural settlement for black Americans, named Dearfield, was officially established, attracting settlers from Denver, Minneapolis, and Kansas City.[1] Early groups struggled: some were forced to live in tents or holes in the nearby hillsides, and there were continual shortages of fuel and water; bitter winter conditions in the first year nearly killed settlers.[1] Over time, however, the community prospered with a variety of crops—‌corn, melons, and squash—‌which surged in price during the First World War.[4] By 1921, Dearfield was valued at $750,000 and had a population of 700. Jackson sought to capitalize on the town's success by erecting a cannery and soap factory.[1]

In the 1930s, the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl decimated Dearfield, forcing Jackson and settlers to sell their homes for lumber. By 1940, only 12 residents remained.[4][5] Jackson stayed, vainly seeking a young black man to reestablish the community.[1]

Death and legacy

Jackson died in the Weld County Hospital in Greeley, Colorado, on February 8, 1948, at the age of 85. Dearfield became a ghost town after the last resident left in 1973, and the site was included in the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Oliver Toussaint Jackson". Colorado Encyclopedia. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  2. ↑ Some sources incorrectly report that Sadie was the sister of Will Cook, but Will Cook had two brothers but no sister. Peter M. Lefferts (October 17, 2017). "Chronology and Itinerary of the Career of Will Marion Cook: Materials for a Biography". Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Jackson, Oliver Toussaint". BlackPast.org. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 Hughes, Trevor. "For a time, all-black town was dear field of dreams". USA Today. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  5. ↑ Nelson, Anne. "O.T. JACKSON (1862-1948) VISIONARY AND CO-FOUNDER OF DEARFIELD, COLORADO". Denver Library.org. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
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