February 25, 2021
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JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
GoldenTranscript.net
VOLUME 155 | ISSUE 12
Celebrating Black History: Three Early Black Goldenites BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO PALBANIBURGIO@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Nine months ago, the protests that erupted in response to the killing of George Floyd brought a new conversation about race to the forefront. Here in Golden, that conversation has often been about looking forward as residents and a new community group have advocated for a more equitable, just and welcoming city, while city leaders have also expressed their commitment to that vision. However, any conversation about race in Golden has to acknowledge the past, particularily how in the 1920s Golden was a center of Ku Klux Klan activity in Colorado. But while examination and acknowledgement of the terrible parts of the community’s history of race relations, there are also beautiful parts too — several African Americans whose significant contributions to the city have gone unheralded. In honor of Black History Month, here is a look at three of those such residents and their lives in and contributions to Golden.
Developers would face more stringent requirements for new construction BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO PALBANIBURGIO@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
In 2008, Golden High School student Ian Rodgers wrote a paper about the life of another one of Golden’s early African American residents, George Robinson, as part of a larger class project documenting those buried in Golden’s cemetery. According to Rodgers’ paper, Robinson spent years journeying west by foot following the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation before settling in Golden in 1884. He lived in several locations in Golden before being taken in by a woman who is identified by Rodgers as Mrs. O’Byrne, who was the mother of Foss Drug owner Heinie Foss. O’Byrne and Robinson would guard the drug store at night and Robinson also worked as a janitor there.
Developers and builders looking to build new structures in Golden will likely face more stringent sustainability requirements for those buildings once a planned update of the city’s sustainability standards is completed sometime next year. Ten years ago, the city adopted a set of sustainability requirements for new construction that have been enforced by the city’s planning and zoning department as part of the site plan review process for new developments. Those requirements include a list of standards builders must meet, a list of guidelines of which they must meet the majority and a third list of sustainability items that they get points for meeting. A new structure is currently required to earn 25 points to be deemed to have met the city’s sustainability requirements. However, both members of the planning commission and several members of the Golden Planning Commission say they have come to see several problems with that system that degrade the integrity of those regulations. Among the complaints about the current menu system were that many of the points could be earned based on factors that were a result of a building’s location and out of the builder’s control, such as
SEE GOLDENITES, P8
SEE GREEN GOALS, P9
John Tolliver
According to Golden historian Richard Gardner, John Tolliver was the earliest documented African-American to have resided in Golden (although it is possible there were others before him). Born a slave in Missouri, Tolliver ran away from his master in 1861 and settled first in Denver. However, he would come to prominence in Golden in 1868 when he opened his own barber shop inside the Cheney Block at what is now 1101 Washington Ave. He would later open Golden’s first bathroom (a place to take baths) at 1113 Washington Ave., where he would offer both hot-and cold-water baths for six bits (75 cents). Tolliver went on to build a home on Ralston Creek and Gardner said he believes him to have died in Fort Collins in 1922. Gardner told the Golden Transcript that he has found records indicating Tolliver was 107 at the time of his death, which would make him Jefferson County’s longest living man to this day. However, his grave stone in Broomfield records his age as 90. “If folks ever come up with an award for selfmade businesspeople of Jefferson County, I’d very much encourage naming it after him, you do not
City considering overhaul of sustainability rules as green goals increase
A painting of George Morrison in the Golden Museum’s colCOURTESY OF GOLDEN HISTORY MUSEUM & PARK lection.
get more self-made than him,” Gardner said of Tolliver. “It’s quite an inspiring story.” George Robinson
INSIDE: CALENDAR: PAGE 11 | VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | SPORTS: PAGE 19
‘A POWERFUL JOURNEY’ A church’s story of friendship, family and perseverance
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