Cloverleaf Oral Histories Project
Residents of Denver’s Sun Valley neighborhood and the area historically known as The Bottoms share the history of how more than 240 homes and businesses were displaced in the 1960s to allow for the construction of the highway-style cloverleaf interchange of Colfax Avenue and Federal Boulevard.
About the Cloverleaf Oral Histories Project
The goal of the Cloverleaf Oral Histories Project is to co-create opportunities for intergenerational dialogue, increase understanding of how the Colfax-Federal cloverleaf impacted the community, and inform future transportation policy. The Colorado Department of Transportation was awarded a $2 million grant to plan for the removal of the cloverleaf, reconstruction of the street network in this area, and redevelopment of the land in ways that better serve the community. The Oral Histories Project will provide important context for this planning effort and help ensure decision-makers hear the community’s voice.
This initiative builds upon the Westside Memory Project, which is an ongoing, community-based public memory project where long-time resident families and friends of the neighborhood connect to share stories about the neighborhood, collect and preserve their stories, and share these through community events
or art.
Community Voices
Read more about the community that was displaced by construction of the Colfax and Federal cloverleaf interchange in our blog post, Reclaiming Colfax and Federal: A Vision for a Safer, More Inclusive Denver, and watch the video below to see images of the community and hear the voices of participants in the Cloverleaf Oral Histories Project.
The intersection of Colfax Avenue and Federal Boulevard in 1942 (left) versus today (right)
Source: Denver Public Library Time Traveler’s Map of Denver
Project Partners
This Cloverleaf Oral Histories Project is a collaborative effort of the Denver Streets Partnership, History Colorado, and the Sun Valley Kitchen + Community Center made possible by an AARP Community Challenge Grant. Community-based “historian” Judy Lucero assisted with collecting oral histories from people, with a priority focus on older adults (age 50+) whose families were displaced by the construction of the cloverleaf, or who lived nearby when the cloverleaf was constructed. The oral histories collected will become part of History Colorado’s permanent collection.
