Barney Ford: A Man Who Freed Himself And Became A Colorado Hospitality And Civil Rights Pioneer

Barney Ford: A Man Who Freed Himself And Became A Colorado Hospitality And Civil Rights Pioneer

Born into slavery in 1822, Barney L. Ford was the product of an enslaved mother and plantation-owner father. His life began in rural Northern Virginia, but his greatest impact awaited further west. Although the waymaker’s legacy is less well-known than other prominent figures, Ford’s influence on Colorado’s history was felt well beyond the state. Ford artfully petitioned for his freedom through a legal loophole and eventually built what many wou…