Blacksville

In 1848 abolitionist Gerrit Smith gave two hundred acres near Loon Lake in Franklin County to Willis Hodges, a free black from Virginia, to settle a community with ten families. They named it Blacksville. The families were disappointed at and ill prepared for the isolated frontier conditions and harsh winters, and lacked basic resources for building a town settlement, as Gerrit Smith had not offered anything except the parcels of land; John Brown, the famous abolitionist, a neighbor and fellow grantee who had asked Gerrit Smith for a tract in order better to organize in the area against slavery, could not offer much material assistance especially during the harsh winters, and Hodges and the settlers became discouraged and abandoned the community after two winters. (From Wikipedia:Loon Lake)

Chateaugay Record, March 21, 1930

EARLY HISTORY OF NORTHERN N.Y.

(By F. L. Turner)

Gerrit Smith's "Negro Colony" was an interesting innovation in trying to find homes for this unfortunate race. Smith brought several families into the town. The deeds were worded something like this: "In consideration of $1.00 and the grantor's desire to have all share in the means of subsistence and happiness which a bountiful God has provided for all." There were at least seven families—Morehouse, Hodge, Smith, Wicks, Hazard, Thomas and Runyon. One of them, Smith, settled first at Elbow Pond but soon moved out to the turnpike. Hodge settled near a hill about mid-way between the Loon Lake hotel and Inman station, which still bears his name, "Hodge Hill." Poor fellows! They were soon frozen and starved out and disappeared in search of "sunnier climes."