Have you ever heard of Blackdom? Chances are, you answered in the negative. After all, the history of many New Mexico ghost towns fades with time. One of the reasons ghost towns fascinate us is because they represent the dreams of the past. But, those who established Blackdom dreamed bigger than most. You see, Blackdom was the first all-black settlement in the New Mexico Territory. So why don’t we know much about Blackdom? It’s time we learned:

The town was founded around 1902 (different sources list conflicting dates) and was located 18 miles southwest of Roswell.
Facebook/Blackdom, New Mexico
From then until the mid-1920s, about 300 people lived here. Blackdom represented an opportunity to those who wanted to shape their own destiny at a time when choices for African Americans were extremely limited.
The story begins with a man named Frank Boyer, who grew up hearing tales of New Mexico from his father who had served in the area during the Mexican-American War. Although Boyer was raised in Georgia, his father’s stories stuck with him.
Wikimedia Commons/DrTimothyENelson
After graduating from Morehouse College, Boyer married a teacher named Ella. The couple had three sons and a daughter. They had a shared goal: to create an all-black settlement. Boyer and one of his students, a man named Dan Keyes, walked close to 2000 miles in order to reach the New Mexico Territory. He was separated from his family for three years before they were able to come out West.
The Boyers lived in Dexter and supported themselves through farming hay and alfalfa. They never forgot their mission and worked on plans for the town they hoped to establish.
Facebook/Blackdom, New Mexico
Thanks to the Homestead Acts, land was free, providing the homesteader lived there for a minimum of a year and worked to improve the land. At the time of settlement, the land around Blackdom was much easier to farm and there appeared to be plenty of water.

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The Boyers moved into a two-room home in Blackdom and placed newspaper ads, encouraging other settlers to join them. And people did just that.
Facebook/Blackdom, New Mexico
Blackdom had a church that did double duty as a schoolhouse (pictured), along with a general store, and post office. The community was doing well despite the harsh winds that gusted across the plains. The town hosted annual Juneteenth festivities and invited white ranchers living nearby to join the celebration, which included food and a baseball game.
Blackdom might still be around today, if it weren’t for a run of bad luck.
YouTube/new mexico PBS
In 1916, worms destroyed the crops, then water in the area grew scarce. It became too difficult for settlers to improve the land, per the requirements of the Homestead Act.
Blackdom was only officially incorporated in 1921 but, by that time, the town was already floundering.
YouTube/new mexico PBS
The settlers scattered across New Mexico. The Boyers held on until the end, when the bank foreclosed on their property. Today, this is all the remains of the town.

If you’d like to know more about Blackdom, New Mexico PBS devoted an episode of “Colores” to the town.

Can you think of any other lost towns in New Mexico whose stories deserve to be told? If you’re a fan of abandoned places like this one, consider visiting these New Mexico ghost towns!

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In General, Why Don't We Know Much About Blackdom?

Tori Jane | July 30, 2022

What was Blackdom. New Mexico?  

Blackdom was well ahead of its time, that’s for sure. It was a historic freedom colony of black men and women in Chaves County, New Mexico, founded by black settlers in 1901. It lasted until the 1920s when it was eventually abandoned and achieved ghost town status. The town grew exponentially in its first few years, with settlers moving in from all over the country for quite some time. A tremendous drought in the 20s, however, made farming and life here difficult, and the folks who called it home had no choice but to up and leave for greener pastures – literally.  

What made the settlement of Blackdom unique?  

Blackdom, New Mexico was unique for several reasons. Including that the community was the first-ever all-black settlement in the New Mexico territory. Juneteenth celebrations were had here, and the kind folks making up the community (of which there were almost 300 people by 1908) would even invite their white neighbors to come to join in the fun. The only reason the community failed was due to extreme drought and a rash of misfortunes that came with it, like a 1916 infestation of worms that wiped out crops and a buildup of alkali in the soil preventing crops from thriving.  

Have there been any other all-black settlements in New Mexico?  

Blackdom was the very first all-black settlement in New Mexico, but it wasn’t necessarily the last. There were several other settlements in New Mexico that were all-black, mostly black, or partially black, and New Mexico was considered one of the freest states if you were black and looking to own some land. In Luna County was Camp Furlong, which had 3,225 black folks living there by the 1920 federal census. In Bernalillo County was Fort Wingate, where a large number of black soldiers lived.  

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