T18 Case Studies in the History & Philosophy of the Geosciences: People, Places, & Things

Sunday, 9 October 2022
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
407

USING MAP IMAGES TO CREATE A GEOSPATIAL WEBSITE REGARDING RACE-RESTRICTED REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENTS IN JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO

Paper number: T18-7
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 9:20 AM – 9:35 AM

Authors

Abstract

This paper will explain efforts to discover and record real estate maps and documents within Jefferson County, Colorado that contain race-based exclusionary language, and explain efforts to create a geospatial database that allows people to easily find this information. This project shows the importance of and usage of geospatial information not just in the geosciences but across a range of disciplines.

Examples of historical race-based housing discrimination can be found throughout the United States, even in areas where very few African Americans lived in the first half of the 20th century. Through the 1950s, Jefferson County, Colorado was a mostly rural county adjacent to Denver. Although the African American population in county and entire state was less than 1%, real estate developers, starting in the mid-1910s through 1950, proactively inserted race-based exclusionary language into planning documents. These clauses were usually placed in new neighborhoods’ or developments’ covenants on maps, and boldly stated that new houses in these areas in Jefferson County would be for “Caucasians only.” The covenants were legal documents (now voided) that were approved by Jefferson County government officials, and enforceable by law.

Over 1,000 plat maps of new neighborhoods or subdivisions in Jefferson County, Colorado dating from the 1860s to 1950 were examined. Over 200 had restrictive covenants (rules about ownership, building size, use of proposed houses, etc.), and of those 200, over 85% had race-based restrictions regarding who could own or occupy a property.

After identifying the plats with restrictive covenants, the images of the maps were downloaded. Using ArcPro GIS software, georectified polygons corresponding to the platted developments in Jefferson County were created. Additional data such as property owners, dates, and when possible, developers was extracted. Using this data, a free, GIS-base website showing the location of the developments was created. This entire process can be duplicated throughout the United States using maps found in local collections.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 54, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2022AM-379285

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