Blackdom, Historical African American settlement in Chaves County, United States.
Blackdom is an abandoned African American settlement in the desert south of Roswell, in Chaves County, New Mexico. It once occupied flat prairie land and relied on artesian wells to support farming in an otherwise dry environment.
Frank Boyer and a group of African American entrepreneurs founded the settlement in 1903 by purchasing land and forming a townsite company in the New Mexico desert. The community grew in the early 1900s but eventually declined as drought and economic hardship pushed residents to leave.
Blackdom had its own church, school, and newspaper, making it one of the few places in New Mexico where African Americans built a community on their own terms. Visitors today find an open, largely empty landscape, but the story of that community is still present in local memory and historical records.
The area is in a dry desert landscape with no facilities, so bringing enough water and sun protection is important before setting out. The terrain is open and flat, which makes it easy to walk around, but there is little shade and conditions can be harsh.
Some settlers secured formal land patents, which was a rare achievement for African Americans in that era and region. Among them, women like Mattie Moore Wilson acquired land independently, showing a level of economic control that was uncommon at the time.
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