Press Release
In Honor of Its 100th Anniversary - Public Invited to Learn about Lincoln Hills - The Historic Colorado Mountain Resort for African American Families
DENVER — May 23, 2022 — On June 3, 2022 from 6 to 7:30pm, the public is invited to a free evening presentation at the History Colorado Center to learn more about the historic Colorado mountain resort for African-American families, “Lincoln Hills.” 2022 is believed to be the 100th anniversary of the resort’s creation. The presentation will be given by renowned Judge Gary Jackson, and his sister Dr. Kimberle Jackson-Butler. They will give a personal first-hand account about growing up at the resort at their family’s cabin they still own today.
Lincoln Hills was developed in the early 1920s in Gilpin County as a recreation area by and for African-American families who were not welcomed in more popular vacation spots due to segregation. It was only one of four such areas in the United States, and the only resort of its kind in the West. The area continues to be enjoyed today by families with historic cabins. Jackson and his family were very involved in the creation and preservation of Lincoln Hills.
“Lincoln Hills was founded in the early 1920s by E.C. Regnier and Roger Ewalt who envisioned a Colorado mountain resort that would serve as an oasis for African-Americans suffering from racism,” explains History Colorado’s Associate Curator for Black History and Cultural Heritage Dexter Nelson II.
Jackson has practiced law for 43 years and served as a county judge for eight years before his retirement in 2020. He helped found Colorado’s oldest minority bar association, the Sam Cary Bar Association, in 1971 and is also a previous board member for History Colorado. He has received numerous awards, including Colorado Law’s Knous Award in 2010 and the Colorado Bar Association Award of Merit in 2011. On Feb 5, 2022 he was inducted into the Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame.
Jackson-Butler is the founder and principal of RE+Cognition LLC, an educational consulting company focused on applying relevant research from the learning sciences to help organizations develop a more inclusive and equitable workplace. She has served as an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Denver and as a counselor and administrator at Seattle’s The Bush School. Previously, she was a Licensed Family Therapist.
About History Colorado
History Colorado is a division of the Colorado Department of Higher Education and a 501(c)3 non-profit that has served more than 75,000 students and 500,000 people in Colorado each year. It is a 142-year-old institution that operates Colorado’s oldest museum, 11 additional museums and historic sites, a free public research center, the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, and the History Colorado State Historical Fund (SHF), which is the nation’s largest preservation program of its kind. More than 70% of SHF grants are allocated in rural areas of the state.
History Colorado’s mission is to create a better future for Colorado by inspiring wonder in our past. We serve as the state’s memory, preserving and sharing the places, stories, and material culture of Colorado through educational programs, historic preservation grants, collecting, outreach to Colorado communities, the History Colorado Center and Stephen H. Hart Research Center in Denver, and nine other museums and historic attractions statewide. History Colorado is one of only six Smithsonian Affiliates in Colorado. Visit HistoryColorado.org, or call 303-HISTORY, for more information.