Dottie Bakke Capital Campaign

Dottie Bakke Capitol Campaign

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. The history of the area 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. 

Commerce City has gone from farmland and ranchers to a Military Arsenal in the 1940s, to an

industrial complex in the 1960s, to a thriving residential community in the 2010s 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 celebrating 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 a multi-purpose 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. Details follow.

In alignment with the mission and vision of the Commerce City Historical Society (CCHS), the

Board of Directors has voted to save and preserve the property located at 6140 Holly St,

Commerce City. The house, known as the Dottie Bakke House, is the oldest house remaining

in the city which was part of a 160-acre property (formerly a dairy farm) and built in 1892.