BINGHAMTON

Some helpful initial research regarding redlining and racial covenants in Binghamton and adjacent communities can be found at The Unwelcome Neighbors and Racial Covenants In Broome County.

As early as 1915, N.P. Dodge, the national real estate company based in Omaha, Nebraska, began to purchase large tracts of land and develop a number of subdivisions in Binghamton and adjacent communities including Dickinson, Endicott, Johnson City, Union, and Vestal. Evidence in newspaper ads suggests that Dodge employed racial covenants in all of the subdivisions in the area.

BELMONT

The 50-acre Moses Dedrick tract on Oakdale Road in the Village of Lestershire was purchased by NP Dodge in 1915 ①. Lestershire was renamed the Village of Johnson City in March 1916.

Engineers began to lay out the new subdivision's streets in the end of April 1915 ②, including Belmont, Hudson, Baldwin, Prospect, Fairfax, Harrison, and Franklin Streets. Lots were advertised for sale that July and buyers were promised that "no undesirable neighbor can buy or even rent on Belmont.... for all time.... ③". Sales agents issued contracts on site, requiring $1 down and weekly payments 50¢ or 75¢ thereafter depending on the price of the lot.

② ③ ④ ⑤ ⑥ ⑦ ⑧ ⑨ ⑩

① Lestershire Endicott Record, April 17, 1915, p. 1. Accessed via fultonhistory.com

② Press and Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, NY) Tue, Apr 27, 1915, Page 11. Accessed via newspapers.com

③ Press and Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, New York), Fri, Jul 2, 1915, Page 5. Accessed via newspapers.com