We, the undersigned, are petitioning for a name change for the housing development called The Miller currently under construction at South Public Rd and South Boulder Rd in Lafayette Colorado.

The name The Miller is too closely associated with Lafayette's darkest period, from 1923-1935, when the Ku Klux Klan spread hatred by intimidating and terrorizing Latinos and Catholics in our community. The KKK controlled town politics, service organizations, churches, the school board and even the town newspaper.

A close look at history has shown us that town founder Mary Miller and her husband Lafayette’s longtime friends, Granville Berkley and Morse Coffin participated in the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre. Lafayette Miller’s sister married Berkley’s son.

In 1923 a Lafayette Ku Klux Klan Klavern was created. There is evidence that membership in the Klavern had a crossover with the town board, volunteer fire department, the Lions Club, the Lafayette Methodist Church, the faculty at the high school and the school’s parent-teacher association. Records show an active KKK presence in Lafayette including parades and cross burnings.

Records also show that Mary Miller’s grandson Fay Miller was a known KKK member identified as such by his nephew who references the identifiable white horse he rode during KKK parades in Lafayette.

Grandson Frank Miller was a member of the fire department, many of the local groups and the Methodist church. He, along with other KKK members, resurrected a dormant anti-saloon political party created by Mary Miller, called the Citizens ticket. He was elected to the town board on this ticket in the 1920’s.

In the early 1930’s the town board, dominated by members of the Citizens ticket, worked with the volunteer fire department to prevent Latinos from using a newly constructed Lafayette swimming pool via a sign in front stating “White Trade Only”. Frank Miller ran the fundraising campaign for the pool and surveyed the land for its location. Rose Lueras and other Latino families challenged this civil rights violation to the State Supreme Court but were not successful. The pool was closed and filled in.

In December 2019 the City of Lafayette named the pool at the Bob Burger Recreation Center in honor of Rose Lueras.

Using the Miller name for this housing development will continue to remind the descendants of those Lafayette Latino families, and Lafayette residents in general, of the many injustices and racial discriminations caused by the actions of the Miller family.

INSENSITIVE NAME

• The Miller’s were members of the Ku Klux Klan
• The Miller family, the City Council, the fire department, and members of the Ku Klux Klan caused Civil Rights violations in the 1930’s at the Lafayette Swimming Pool.
• Let us stand up for social justice.
• Stop institutional racism.
• Unite; do not divide the City of Lafayette.
• The City of Lafayette stands for building an inclusive community.
• Let us truly build a healthy community.
• This is about social change.
• Respect human rights.
• Continue the healing process for the Latinos of Lafayette.
• Respect and value the Latino families of Lafayette.
• Let us do the right thing and change the Miller name at the housing complex.

(This petition is being brought forward by Lafayette residents Frank Archuleta, Doug Conarroe, Rachel Hanson and Karen Norback.)