Dahlia or Dahlia Square shopping center in Denver

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terryinokc
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Dahlia or Dahlia Square shopping center in Denver

Post by terryinokc »

Does anyone have information or photos of this shopping center?
Research shows it was the first or one of the first African American owned shopping centers.
It was in the Park Hill area of Denver....which was in the early 1970's and maybe now a predominately black area of town.

In the early 1970's my church went to church camp in Colorado and we would always stop in Denver for a couple of days before going to camp. I had the good fortune of staying with the same family in the Park Hill area for three visits.
The mom would take us to a King Soopers in the center.....In fact each time we were there she would load 4 or 5 kids (including two or hers) into the car to go to King Soopers. I still have vague memories....seems like the floor tile and the walls could have been turquoise and white....seems like there was a turnstyle to get into the store....and big displays of Food Club brand items. She purchased a lot of things in this brand....I was familiar with it because our Humpty Dumpty stores in Oklahoma had this until the late 60's when they changed their store brand to Camelot.

Not that this needs to be said, but this family was amazing and so gracious to let us stay there. They were members of a small church in the area that was part of my small denomination....Orthodox Presbyterian. I am white....they were black, and when I graduated high school in 1975 there were 3 black kids in my class. Not that they weren't welcome by any means.....the neighborhoods were just different back then. I didn't have the privilege of having close black friends in school....
I loved this family as my own, and they embraced me as one of their own. Great people.


And good memories with them and of this King Soopers......anyone have any more info on this store?
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Groceteria
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Re: Dahlia or Dahlia Square shopping center in Denver

Post by Groceteria »

Per my Denver address research (http://www.groceteria.com/place/us-colorado/denver/), it was probably located at 3304 Dahlia, which looks to a be shopping center size vacant lot now: https://goo.gl/maps/vV4YJUZ789t

It apparently opened before 1961 and closed sometime between 1970 and 1976. Wikipedia says the center opened in the early 1950s and was torn down in 2005: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Hill,_Denver

Photo of the King Soopers before it was torn down: http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/re ... l14/id/150
terryinokc
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Re: Dahlia or Dahlia Square shopping center in Denver

Post by terryinokc »

Thanks for the info!
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