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Courtesy: Broomfield Depot Museum, City and County of Broomfield
Shep resting at his tollbooth post.

Shep’s Crossing

By Jon Pinnow
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If you have to cross the railroad tracks in Broomfield, between Midway Boulevard and Industrial Lane, you’ll use a pedestrian bridge called Shep’s Crossing. It was named for a stray dog who hung around the Denver-Boulder Turnpike job site when it was being built in 1950. Workers warmed to him, fed him, and named him Shep. When construction was completed, attendants at the newly-built toll booth took him in. They enjoyed his company, and drivers going from Denver to Broomfield looked forward to Shep’s calm and friendly presence. Many regularly brought him treats, or dropped spare change into a bucket beside the booth for his upkeep. In February 2021, the city council named the Midway Bridge “Shep’s Crossing,” after Broomfield’s beloved celebrity canine. He lived at the toll booth for 14 years. His headstone reads, “Shep: Partly Shepherd, Mostly Affection.”

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