“After he returned to Georgia and was discharged from the Army, he decided to come back to the West. He and a companion walked from Southwestern Georgia to Abilene, Texas, a distance of 2178 miles. They ‘beat the freights’ from Abilene to Texas, and then walked from Pecos to Eddy (now Carlsbad) in New Mexico Territory. That was in 1899.”
Las Cruces Sun-News, Sunday, March 30, 1947
After exhausting his military service, Frank Boyer returned to Georgia to attend Atlanta Baptist College (Morehouse College). Frank’s New Mexican Myth included a 2200 mile walk. He could have walked, but Frank had access to more efficient ways to travel the distance. In 1899, Frank Boyer (27) and Daniel Keys (20) (brother-in-law) traveled together from Georgia to New Mexico and stopped in Abilene, TX. Frank and Daniel “beat the freights.” At the turn of the 20th Century, riding freight trains (“Beating the Freights”) was less expensive, less comfortable and how poor people afforded the ride. Frank took a job as a buggy driver for New Mexico District Judge A. A. Freeman, in part because of his knowledge on how to get around in the Borderlands. Shortly after settling into the job, Frank sent word for the family to join him and they too traveled by train.
by Dr. Timothy E. Nelson ©
Roswell Daily Record Thursday, May 20, 1920
Support Blackdom Thesis with the Illuminated Baseball T-shirt, our first edition design, in a soft vintage wash in men’s fit. Also available in women’s.
Fabric: Super soft vintage feel
Color: Charcoal grey sleeves and heather grey body
Content: 50% polyester, 25% cotton, 25% rayon
Care: Machine wash cold with like colors. Tumble dry on low