The changing patterns of Globeville are inextricably bound up with the history of the community and its ethnic and religious groups. Globeville was established on ranch land purchased for that purpose by the Globe Smelter Company. Slavic workers were known to have settled in the area around 1885. As other smelter and packinghouses located nearby, local workers were attracted to Globeville. The tall smokestack represented in Denver’s City Seal depicts the smelting industry era centered in Globeville.
The town of Globeville, comprised of 448 acres, was annexed to Denver in 1902. During that time areas of Globeville were identified by names still recognized today. The principal area of Globeville was known as Garden Place, so named for the truck gardens there. This term lives on today in the name of the neighborhood public elementary school.
A large number of Globeville’s original residents were European immigrants, among them Volga-Deutsche, Poles, Slovenians, Croatians and Serbs. Each group brought its own separate national and religious heritage, which was soon reflected in the community. For some years the community developed inwardly. The men walked to work; the women bought from street vendors or shopped in the neighborhood. The children went to the local public or parochial school. The nearest streetcar stop was outside the community, across the river to the south.
A number of events dispersed the old ethnic settlements in Globeville. The first was World War II, which strongly accelerated the process of integration. The construction of Interstate Highway 25 started in 1948 and dedicated in 1958 as well as the construction of Interstate Highway 70 completed in 1964 resulted in the destruction of seven blocks and 31 family homes and had a divisive effect on the area leaving only Lincoln and Washington Streets open to north-south traffic.
A quarter of a century ago houses for sale or rent would have been quickly filled up by relatives or friends of residents on the block. More recently, this traditional pattern has changed with new immigrants beginning to move in. In 1950, there were only 12 Latino households in Globeville. By 1990, that number had grown to 599.
Globeville is located just 20 blocks north of downtown Denver but circuitous transportation links add to actual travel distance. All edges of Globeville are zoned for and have heavy industrial uses. Activities adjacent to the Globeville Neighborhood include the Denver Coliseum and Stock Show complex, Rockmont Park within the Central Platte Valley redevelopment area, the Merchandise Mart, and the Bannock Street retail/warehouse furniture business district. The Globeville Neighborhood is a residential island surrounded by industry.