Olathe, CO: Learn more about the Sweet Corn that got its start in this small town!

Olathe – A Brief History

Although “Olathe” is the Shawnee name for “beautiful”, the Uncompahgre Valley Territory of Western Colorado was inhabited by the Ute tribe for hundreds of years.  The present-day site of Olathe was at one time a Ute village, with plenty of hunting and fishing to sustain the village. In the late 1870’s, the gold and silver boom encouraged western expansion, and settlers began to homestead in the area. By 1882 the Ute village had been pushed out of the area and the town was established. 

In 1882-1883, the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad built their narrow-gauge line through Western Colorado and raised a section house halfway between Montrose and Delta.  In 1896, the D. & R. G. W. Railroad sent a railroad agent from Olathe, Kansas to run the depot. He proposed the name to Olathe; after the beautiful and prosperous town in Kansas from where he had come.  Olathe was incorporated in 1907.

The Interesting Local History of Olathe Sweet Corn

(sources: Colorado Sun, 2024 article and CPR 2021 article and Tuxedo Corn Company website)

• 1978 – The Mesa Maize Seed Company was started by David Galinat, a corn geneticist, on the outskirts of Olathe
  • Trivia: his father was Walton Galinat who developed a variety of corn that grew 2′ long and a variety that was square in shape!
• early 1980s – David Galinat developed a strain of corn with higher-than-normal sugar content. The corn is relatively fragile and therefore requires harvesting by hand.
• early 1980s: area farmer John Harold started the Tuxedo Corn Company, specializing in what was to be branded Olathe Sweet Corn! Since picking is done by hand, the harvesting process heavily reliant on migrant workers. This was back when this rural community was in dire need of an economic boost and newly developed sweet corn was just the right crop to benefit from hot sunny days and cool nights. The company headquarters was originally set up and remains in downtown Olathe.
  • Trivia: John and wife Donna have 3 sons, David, John William and Joseph, who are all involved in different aspects of the family business. John Harold has always prioritized community service, operating the Colorow Care Center and Group Home, which was also started in the county in the 1980s.
• 1990: Olathe Sweet Corn Festival began, bringing “a wholesome, family-friendly event to Montrose, Colorado each year.”
  • Trivia: the festival serves free, all-you-can-eat roasted Olathe Sweet Corn donated by Tuxedo Corn since the first festival!
• 2010: Mesa Maize Seed Company was sold to Harris Moran, one of the word’s largest seed companies, which later became part of HM Clause, another of the world’s titans of global seed production.
• 2024: Olathe Sweet Corn Festival was moved to nearby and much larger Montrose, Colorado. The new location will allow venue-wide alcohol consumption and more shade for corn fans while they get their all-you-can-eat fix of roasted and buttered ears.

Trends impacting Sweet Corn production today

• Corn growers are struggling to get enough workers, a process that has become more difficult and more expensive. Nine out of 10 of the sweet corn workers are now from Mexico. David Harold pointed out that some of the Mexican workers have been returning to the corn harvest for 25 years!
• Corn seed conglomerates look more to uniformity and mechanical picking than to quality now – many of the varieties of seed originally developed by Galinat are being discontinued.
• However, Galinat’s seed is still used by Tuxedo Corn Company and its farming teams. And it is still possible to buy Galinat’s seed on Olathe’s Main Street. Behind the rusted and faded sign of Olathe True Value Hardware, in a 111-year-old building with sloping floors and an antique charm, there is a decades-old plastic bin filled with pink-tinted corn seed. It’s a variety Galinat called “Merlin.” Gardeners can buy it by the pound. 

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#1. Shout-out to a new local Coffee Shop and a local Brewery

We stopped by San Juan Coffeehouse for coffee and a breakfast burrito… yum! We learned that this is another location of a popular local Coffee Shop in nearby Montrose.

• San Juan Coffeehouse – Olathe – Google Maps – good coffee and breakfast!
• Mad Russian Brewing Company – Google Maps – only open on Fridays, but its beer gets high marks!

#2. Local Restaurants and Community Spaces in historic Downtown Olathe

• Carniceria El Bajio – Google Maps – popular Mexican restaurant
• The Busy Corner White Kitchen – Google Maps – popular breakfast restaurant
• Primitos Bakery – Google Maps – popular local bakery
• Olathe Community Center – Google Maps – housed in a historic building

#3. Close to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

The Black Canyon of the Gunnison is a must see in the area, and only a 30 minute drive (22 miles) from Olathe. The Park has an attractive Visitor Center, clean bathrooms and several impressive view spots. There is also hiking available up top.

• Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park – Google Maps – Beautiful Gorge! (National Park Website)

Big enough to be overwhelming, yet still intimate enough to feel the pulse of time. Come see some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock, and craggiest spires in North America. Forces of nature and the Gunnison River sculpted this canyon over two million years. The result is a vertical wilderness of rock, water, and sky.

Events

• August: OlatheSweetCornFest – has moved to Montrose in 2024, but originates in Olathe. The festival has been celebrating harvest of sweet corn since 1990!
• December: Olathe’s Old Time Holiday Craft Fair | Olathe CO

Organizations that Support Community in Olathe

• Home Page | Olathe CO – town website
  • Community Center | Olathe CO
  • Demographics & Statistics | Olathe CO
• About Us – Tuxedo Corn Company – the sweet corn wholesale company that started the Olathe Corn brand! Headquarters are still located in downtown Olathe

Map of Olathe