Adams County Historical Society - Henderson, CO - Japanese Gardens on Waymarking.com

"JAPANESE AMERICANS

Between 1900 and 1910 approximately two thousand Japanese immigrants came to the South Platte valley, many recruited to work on the railroad, irrigation projects, or tilling the region’s sugar-beet fields for the Great Western Sugar Company. Many of these families settled permanently in Adams County, forming a tight-knit, well-organized community. Though confronted with restrictive laws and outright racism, the Japanese persevered and prospered, buying farms or moving into other middle-class occupations. They formed their own agricultural cooperatives and unions (in part because established organizations excluded them) and maintained a rich cultural life; Brighton alone had a Japanese-language newspaper and school, a large Buddhist temple, and a Japanese Hall. Some of the families that arrived from Japan in the early 1900s have now been in Colorado for three or four generations, blending into their communities while retaining a distinct cultural identity.

Truck Farms

With its fertile soils, excellent irrigation system, and proximity to Denver, Adams County offered an ideal environment for truck farms. These five- to ten-acre operations proliferated during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, providing urban grocers and canning factories with the bulk of their fresh fruits and vegetables. Many sold directly to consumers from roadside stands. Their small size kept capital and labor requirements at a minimum, making truck farms attractive opportunities for working-class families, particularly immigrants; many of Adams County’s truck farmers were Japanese or Italian (the latter concentrated near the town of Welby). Truck farms faded after 1960, as supermarket chains turned to large-scale growers and industrial sprawl consumed much of this region’s best agricultural acreage. But a few remain, supplying Denverites with fresh tastes from the past." (from (visit link) and (visit link) )

The Adams County Historical Museum is open Tues-Sat from 10 am to 4 pm and is free of charge. (visit link)

Name: Japanese Garden at ACHM Location (specific park it is located within): Adams County Historical Museum City: Henderson Fees: no Designer: Unknown Date of Creation: Unknown Garden Website: Not listed Parking Coordinates: Not Listed

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