Blackdom, New Mexico
Blackdom is a ghost town in Chaves County, New Mexico, that was founded by African-American settlers in 1901 and abandoned in the mid-1920s.
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[edit] Geography
The Blackdom site is located at 33°9′49″N 104°30′30″W / 33.16361°N 104.50833°W (33.1636, -104.5083),[1] eight miles (13 km) west of Dexter, New Mexico and 18 miles (29 km) south of Roswell. The altitude is 3,638 feet (1,108 m).
[edit] History
The town was settled by Frank and Ella Boyer and Daniel Keyes, who wanted to establish a self-sufficient settlement for African-American settlers. They recruited homesteaders from Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi, Ohio, and Georgia to live in the 15,000 acres (61 km2) of Blackdom. Eventually 300 black settlers would make their homes in Blackdom.[2]
Blackdom was officially incorporated on December 5, 1911. A post office existed in Blackdom from 1913 to 1920, but declining water resources and drought forced the settlers to abandon the town, with many families moving to Vado, New Mexico. The Blackdom Baptist Church building was sold in the 1920s and moved to Cottonwood, where it is now a private home.
[edit] Remembering Blackdom
October 26, 2002, was proclaimed Blackdom Day by the governor of New Mexico, and a historical marker was erected at a rest stop on Highway 285, between Roswell and Artesia. Former Blackdom residents and descendants of settlers were on hand for the dedication ceremony.[3]
Local and state community leaders are working to establish a memorial site in or near Roswell to mark the existence of Blackdom.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ Boyer Spiegel, Barbara (2006-10-17). "Blackdom". Adobe Moments (KSFR Radio). http://www.prx.org/pieces/14542. Retrieved 2007-01-16.[dead link]
- ^ Stark, Ryan (2002-10-27). "Blackdom historical marker dedicated during ceremony". Roswell Daily Record. http://www.roswell-record.com/archives/102702/news01.html. Retrieved 2007-01-16.[dead link]
- ^ Cunningham, Christopher (2005-04-13). "Push pays off for black-heritage site". Roswell Daily Record. http://www.roswell-record.com/archives/041305/news07.html. Retrieved 2007-01-16.[dead link]
[edit] External links
- Soul of New Mexico article on Frank Boyer; includes photographs of the Baptist church
- New Mexico Wanderings entry on Blackdom, including historical photograph of a Blackdom farm
- Ghost Towns.com entry on Blackdom
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