| dbo:abstract
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- Timbuctoo, New York, was a failed mid-19th century farming colony of African-American homesteaders in the remote town of North Elba, New York. It was located in the vicinity of 44°13′N 73°59′W / 44.22°N 73.99°W, near today's Lake Placid village (which did not exist then), in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York. Contrary to the information given out by donor Gerrit Smith, who said that the lots were in clusters, they were spread out over an area 40 miles (64 km) north to south, and 15 miles (24 km) east to west. The land was called "the highest arable spot of land in the State, if, indeed, soil so hard and sterile can be called arable." Timbuctoo has acquired a mythical status in the history of New York State. The land is reforested and the exact location of the houses is unknown. While a historic marker was installed in July 2022, the settlement is not found on any local maps. There are no surviving buildings nor known foundations of buildings. There are no known photographs. (One frequently seen was in fact not taken in New York State.) It is not even clear who came up with the name, which was not widely used. The only thing remaining is the restored (to its 1859 state) house of its farming instructor John Brown, in whose barn a permanent exhibit on Timbuctoo is installed. However, that farmhouse of the John Brown Farm State Historic Site had not yet been built; the rented house he and his family lived in was destroyed by fire in 1900. The story of Timbuctoo—in the 21st century becoming the subject of artistic works—is a tale of sin and redemption. An unfair, discriminatory measure—the imposition of a property qualification on Black voters only—was to be made right by a saintly act, the wealthy Gerrit Smith's grand measure, giving Black men he deemed worthy enough property (land) that they could vote. In theory, the project would have changed Black urban wage workers into self-sufficient Black land owners. But the redemption was a near-total failure. A lot of Smith's land was very remote. What was supposed to have been a healthful escape from disease-ridden cities ended up being a great deal of hard work felling trees in a very cold climate. After the first winter it was clear Timbuctoo was a failure. Only one Black settler remained permanently. (en)
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| rdfs:comment
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- Timbuctoo, New York, was a failed mid-19th century farming colony of African-American homesteaders in the remote town of North Elba, New York. It was located in the vicinity of 44°13′N 73°59′W / 44.22°N 73.99°W, near today's Lake Placid village (which did not exist then), in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York. Contrary to the information given out by donor Gerrit Smith, who said that the lots were in clusters, they were spread out over an area 40 miles (64 km) north to south, and 15 miles (24 km) east to west. (en)
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