Barney Ford House - Breckenridge Historic District - Breckenridge, CO
Posted by: 
Outspoken1
N 39° 28.840 W 106° 02.726
13S E 410088 N 4370640
Barney Ford was an escaped slave who became a wealthy Colorado businessman and civil-rights pioneer. He was quite successful in Breckenridge as a businessman and became the wealthiest man in town.
Waymark Code: WMNKHA
Location: Colorado, United States
Date Posted: 03/29/2015
Views: 1
The Barney Ford House Museum honors Barney L. Ford, an escaped slave who prospered and became a prominent entrepreneur and black civil rights pioneer in Colorado. In 1880, Ford became the first black businessman in Breckenridge when he opened Ford’s Restaurant and Chop House.
Located at 111 East Washington Avenue, the Barney Ford House was designed and built in 1882 for Ford, his wife Julia and their three children by prominent craftsman Elias Nashold. In its day, the house was considered a showplace home in Breckenridge.
The building at 1514 Blake Street was one of the earliest commercial successes for Barney L. Ford, a pivotal black leader in the early history of Colorado. Ford was a black pioneer, businessman, civic leader and politician who actively fought for African American civil rights in his state. Born January 22, 1822 in Stafford, Virginia, Ford grew up as a slave on a South Carolina plantation but escaped to Chicago. He became active in the abolition movement while in Chicago after meeting Henry O. Wagoner, an active member of the Underground Railroad. Ford later married Wagoner's sister-in-law Julia.
In 1860 the Fords moved to Colorado. Ford purchased land on Blake Street in Denver and built a small building there only to have it destroyed by fire the following year. He rebuilt the current brick building in which was located a restaurant, bar, barber shop and hair salon. From this initial business venture, Ford expanded his commercial holdings steadily. By 1854, Ford was generating the 14th highest income in the state of Colorado, the result of his numerous income-producing properties, including hotels in Denver and Cheyenne, Wyoming. Ford played a significant role in the admission of Colorado to the Union as a free state. A member of the Republican party, Ford was the first African American to be nominated to the Territorial Legislature. In 1865, Ford successfully lobbied the Federal government for black voting rights in Colorado, enlisting the support of Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts.
The Breckenridge NRHD may be found at (
visit link) and the building is cited on page item 7, page 4.
See also (
visit link) . His home is now a museum (
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