Abandoned Record
About Blackdom
Blackdom is a historic freedom colony in Chaves County, New Mexico, United States with a population of 300 at its height in 1908 that was founded by African-American settlers in 1901 and abandoned in the mid-1920s. Founded by Frank and Ella Boyer under the requirements of the Homestead Act, the town experienced significant growth in its early years, with settlers from throughout the United States moving to the community.
This is a site record: what public sources say about Blackdom, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.
Map
Where Blackdom is
Historic maps
5 historic USGS maps cover Blackdom
Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.
- 1949 Peters Lake sheet, 1:24,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1955 Roswell sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1958 Roswell sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1962 Roswell sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1979 Roswell sheet, 1:100,000 · GeoTIFF download
Directions
Getting there
Before you go
- Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
- Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
- Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.
Sources
Sources
- ghosttowns.com, "Blackdom": county, roads, climate, best time to visit, remains.
- Wikipedia, "Blackdom, New Mexico": coordinates and summary.
- Wikidata Q4922774.
- USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
- USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).