Frances M. "Frank" Boyer  Frances Boyer first came to New Mexico in 1846. That was when his love for New Mexico started. He served as a wagoneer in the U.S. Army, in a unit headed by General Stephen W. Kearny. He was amazed and awed by the wide-open spaces and the vast available land in the New Mexico Territory.
When he returned to Pellam, Georgia, he spread the word, telling many that the Southwest territory was the place to be. Frances Boyer and his brother-in-law, Daniel, walked from Pellam, Georgia to New Mexico. They raised money by dancing the jig for drunken cowboys to the tune of their gunshots. They were given rides by friendly wagon trains for work they perform. Frances and his brother-in-law settled in an area near what is now known as Roswell. He and Daniel worked on ranches until they were able to send for their wives and children. Before their families arrived, Daniel and Frances had visited near by states to convince other African-Americans to move to New Mexico to help establish a self-sustaining Black community. So began the all Black community, Blackdom.  By 1929, Blackdom's population had reached 300. They had a church, a schoolhouse, and a store with a post office and over 50,000 acres of land. After the Boyer's and the Keyes' got titles to their homestead, they placed mortgages on their land. The bank foreclosed when they were unable to repay a loan of $165.00 for an irrigation engine.
Dry land farming was not successful because they were too far west and the water supply was inadequate. The demise of Blackdom was gradual and by the mid-1920's it was practically deserted. The Blackdon Baptist Church pictured here, was moved to Cottonwood, New Mexico near Artesia, New Mexico. The church sold in 1920 to the Cottonwood Methodist Church where services were held through the 1960's. State Senator Budd Hebert became the next owner and he used the church for storage. Another couple purchased the church in 1985 and transformed it into a private residence. The Boyers and many others relocated to Pacheo, New Mexico. Eventually the Boyers moved to Vado, New Mexico where they began a fourth all Black community. For further information on New Mexico history in general, ghost towns and to see what is new in some New Mexico counties, cities, and towns go to: www.huntel.com/~artpike/ | |
