The Sweetheart Town with a dark history of racial segregation

Countries & Cities · Published 9 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Loveland, Colorado, is famous for its Valentine re-mailing program and lush cherry orchards. Yet, beneath its "Sweetheart Town" moniker lies a complicated past as a "sundown town," where racial segregation was enforced through local laws and social exclusion.

In the early 20th century, Loveland operated as a "sundown town," a racially segregated community that prohibited non-white travelers from remaining within city borders after sunset. This practice was not limited to the Deep South; in Loveland, neighborhoods and Homeowner Associations actively prevented people of color from purchasing property. Local residents recall instances where African-American baseball teams were unable to stay overnight after games, and people of Mexican or Native American ancestry faced poor treatment and low wages. Historically, even road signs welcoming visitors to the area explicitly stated that Jim Crow Laws were observed locally. This systemic exclusion was deeply embedded in the community's social fabric.

The city's identity has shifted significantly over the decades. In the late 1920s, Spring Glade Orchard stood as the most extensive cherry plantation west of the Mississippi River, yielding upwards of $1 million in annual cherry sales. However, a combination of droughts, blight, competition from Michigan, and a killer freeze eventually destroyed the scale of the industry. By the late 1960s, large-scale cherry farming had ceased, though some orchards persisted into the 1990s.

Today, Loveland is a diverse municipality with a population of 76,378 as of the 2020 census. While it remains a hub for art and manufacturing, the city continues to grapple with its social legacy. As of 2021, the city council had spent nearly two years discussing ways to give minority residents a greater voice, though community sentiment has largely opposed such initiatives due to perceived divisiveness.

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