PINECLIFFE, Colo. — In the mountains near Pinecliffe in Gilpin County, there’s a piece of Colorado history.
Lincoln Hills was started by two developers in 1922 as a resort for African Americans.
It was a difficult time for many of them in Denver and around the country – a time of Jim Crow laws, segregation, discrimination, and hostility. Black families could escape to Lincoln Hills and enjoy recreation and the beauty of the Colorado High Country.
The resort closed in 1965, and today there are only a few buildings left.
There’s the “honeymoon cabin," used back in the day by singer and civil rights activist Lena Horne. She’d spend a few days there after performing in Denver.
Winks lodge is still there – it was the hub of Lincoln Hills, where people could stay the night, eat, and visit with friends. There’s an effort underway now to restore it, using historic grants and donations.
And the old tavern is still standing, although it’s been empty for years. There’s a worn out Coors Beer sign standing guard on top of the place.
Today the land is owned by Colorado businessmen and philanthropists Robert Smith and Matthew Burkett.
There is a nonprofit on part of the site called “Lincoln Hill Cares”. It’s an outdoor education and leadership program that invites young people to visit from underserved neighborhoods in the Denver area.
“It’s a place for them to come up, to be outside, and to be liberated, to be free to do all the activities they want to – just like the history," Executive Director Dr. Jenette Patterson said.
And Lincoln Hills also houses an exclusive Fly-Fishing Club that helped clean up South Boulder Creek in an area where there used to be mining.
Lincoln Hills is an important part of Colorado history, but many people don’t know much about it. Lincoln Hills Cares, the organization that runs it today, hopes to change that.
