About 15 years ago, we embarked on an incredible journey to preserve the history of Commerce City. We recognized that the city was rapidly growing and changing. The area had been settled in 1850 and the history would have been lost without locals stepping in and saving it. So, we began to collect the stories of the past and opened the Historical Society Museum. We have outgrown our current museum location, yet our mission is unfinished. The impact we have on the community is in bringing the locals together, to create a place to gather and tell stories while preserving the history of this beautiful city. It's not about the stuff we have collected over the years, it's about the individuals who helped shape what Commerce City is today that created the vision for our city's future.
We have seen Commerce City go from farm land and ranchers to a Military Arsenal in the 1940's, to an industrial complex in the 1960's, to a thriving residential community in the 2010's and it is still changing! It has grown from a population of hundreds to 68,000 residents. But where we have been guides us to remember our past while building our future. The Rocky Mountain National Arsenal has been converted to a national refuge where bison roam and eagles nest. The Commerce City Historical Society strives to document and preserve the past while educating our neighbors and to celebrate living in this community just north of Denver.
Our vision in the next phase of our growth is to have a larger home for our museum collection and to properly catalog and display our pieces along with a small gift shop so that we may continue to support the museum. Add an event center with gardens that will be available to all residents of Commerce City to gather and hold historical events, teas, anniversary parties, dances, non-profit fundraisers, and so much more. Thank you for supporting us.
Preserving Commerce City History – Because History Matters!
The Commerce City Historical Society was established in 2009, by the members of the community who cared about saving the history of the city.
The Commerce City Historical Society is a nonprofit 501c(3) organization for the purpose of accurately collecting, memorializing, preserving, and maintaining the rich physical, digital and written history of the people and places within Commerce City.
The society’s major function is to research and collect materials which will establish and illustrate the history of the area, its past, its exploration, settlement, and development.
The society has preserved such materials and has made them accessible to all who wish to examine or study them.
On September 19, 2014, in a joint project with the city of Commerce City and the Commerce City Cultural Council, the Commerce City Historical Society opened the first Commerce City Heritage and Cultural Center located at 6505 East 60th Avenue.
Organization name
Commerce City Historical Society
other names
CCHS
2009
Tax id (EIN)
27-1142241
Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities, Community Improvement & Capacity Building
Organization Size
Small Organization
Address
6505 E 60TH AVECommerce City, CO, US