A Family. A Farm. A Piece of Colorado History.
The Hicks Homestead is a 160-acre property in Weld County, Colorado, originally settled in 1910 by Crawford and Ethel Hicks — an African American couple who migrated west from Georgia with a vision of land ownership, self-sufficiency, and a better life for their family.
Their homestead was part of the Dearfield Colony, a pioneering African American agricultural settlement founded by O.T. Jackson on the ideals of Booker T. Washington. At its peak in 1917, Dearfield encompassed over 15,000 acres farmed by more than 60 Black families — a remarkable achievement in early 20th-century Colorado.
Today, two distinct but deeply connected sites carry the Hicks legacy: Hicks Homestead at Dearfield — the 160-acre working farmstead — and the Hicks Homestead House, a six-room mail-order home built by Crawford Hicks in 1910, now listed on the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties.
"There is a sense of pride and worth with this property, and it is amazing that we've been able to keep it in the family."
— Tony Potts, Hicks family descendant, 2024
The homestead retains remarkable integrity — of location, setting, feeling, design, and association — making it a rare and irreplaceable window into African American life on the Colorado frontier.
Understanding the Hicks Homestead
Explore the Full Story
The Hicks Family
From Crawford and Ethel's journey from Georgia to the fifth and sixth generations who carry the legacy today. Oral histories, photographs, and the story of an extraordinary African American family.
Historical Timeline
Trace the Hicks Homestead from its founding in 1910 through the Dearfield era, the Denver years, and into the present — a century of history mapped year by year.
Preservation & Tourism
Learn about the active preservation efforts to protect this irreplaceable site, and discover opportunities to visit and connect with this powerful chapter of Colorado history.
I didn't know anything else, and as far as I was concerned, I was happy out there. I don't think any of us were unhappy.
— Carrie Lillian Hicks Wood, daughter of Crawford & Ethel Hicks, recalling life on the homestead (Interview, Denver, August 18, 1994)