1718 Canyon Blvd. - John Wesley and Emma McVey

John Wesley McVey was born March 22, 1855 in Mount Hope, Alabama. His mother was born and wedded into slavery, and took the name McVey, which was the name of her master. John never knew what happened to his father, but his mother bore nine children, and after the end of the Civil War, they moved to Junction City, Kansas. John stayed in Junction City, but the rest of the family moved east to Concordia, Kansas..

By 1885, John was living in Colorado, with his wife Alice and daughter Mamie. Alice passed away, and John married Emma Bailey in 1896, with whom he had seven more children over the next twelve years.

In 1900, John obtained a loan from the Boulder National Bank to purchase the property at 1718 Water Street, now Canyon Boulevard, from an estate. The stipulation with the bank was that he had to keep the property in good condition and insured. That was not difficult as he owned the Iowa Barber Shop and Pool Hall at 1530 Pearl Street—above is a photo of it in later years. It is now the site of a large parking garage. John employed a good number of friends and family as barbers and porters. He received loans to renovate the property to accommodate more business over the years. His shop was a community gathering place for many years and a place for amateur musicians including himself to play joyful tunes. Both 1530 Pearl and this house at 1718 Canyon witnessed a great deal of music. Junius Lewis, a Black gentleman with mining interests, often visited the family at this address where he stated he always looked forward to musical evenings. John and Emma’s daughter Hazel went on to play piano with George Morrison’s orchestra.

In 1913, John McVey was stricken with pulmonary tuberculosis and died on January 15. He is buried in Columbia Cemetery. Emma and most of his children, who had professional careers, ended up in Denver where the job opportunities for Blacks were more promising. Emma lived on until 1951. In 1995, the McVey house was designated as a City of Boulder landmark to honor the accomplishments of the McVey family in the community.

Directions to Stop 15: Cross Canyon Boulevard on the crosswalk at its intersection with 17th Street, and then walk east to 1733 Canyon Boulevard.