El Paso, Texas
El Paso is the
county seat of
El Paso County in the
U.S. state of
Texas. According to the
2005 U.S. Census population estimates, the city had a population of 598,590, making it the sixth-largest city in Texas and the
21st-largest city in the
United States. El Paso is second only to
San Diego, California in size among all U.S. cities on the
U.S.-Mexico border.
Ciudad Juárez,
Chihuahua lies opposite of the
Rio Grande (Rio Bravo del Norte)â€"which separates the two citiesâ€"forming a bi-national
metropolitan area of 2,280,782, making it the second-largest
bi-national metropolitan area on the U.S.â€"Mexico border.
El Paso is home to
The University of Texas at El Paso (founded
1914 as The Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy, received university status
1967).
Fort Bliss, a major
United States Army installation, lies to the east and northeast of the city, extending north up to the
White Sands Missile Range. The
Franklin Mountains extend into El Paso from the north and nearly divide the city into two sections.
El Paso is served by
El Paso International Airport,
Amtrak via the historic
Union Depot,
I-10,
U.S. Route 54,
U.S. Route 180,
U.S. Route 85 and
U.S. Route 62.
Archeological evidence at the
Keystone Wetlands and
Hueco Tanks sites indicates thousands of years of human settlement within the El Paso region. The
Manso,
Suma, and Jumano Indians were identified as present by the earliest
Spanish explorers. These people ultimately became assimilated into the local settler population, becoming part of the
Mestizo culture that is prevalent in
Mexico and is visible throughout the
Southwest. Others integrated themselves with the different
Mescalero Apache bands that for many years roamed the region.
|
Downtown El Paso in 1908. |
El Paso del Norte (the present day
Ciudad Juárez), was founded on the south bank of the RÃo Bravo del Norte, (
Rio Grande) in 1659. Being a green valley back then, agriculture flourished and vineyards and fruits comprised the bulk of the regional production. The Spanish Crown and the local authorities of El Paso del Norte had made several land concessions to bring agricultural production to the northern bank of the river in present day El Paso. However, the Apaches dissuaded production and settlers to cross the river. The water provided a natural defense against them.
The first successful agricultural enterprise that we have records on was Ponce de León Ranch. The land was granted in 1825. Although American traders and trappers had visited the area since 1823, American settlers began to stay for good after the
Mexican Cession in 1848. During the
Texas Republic period, the area belonged to the Mexican State of Chihuahua. El Paso was never officially a part of the Republic of Texas, and only became part of Texas after Texas was admitted into the Union.
A trading post called Franklin was established during this time some miles away from Ponce's Ranch. Other settlements were also scattered across the region and eventually became part of El Paso itself. Ciudad Juarez dropped the old name of El Paso del Norte and El Paso, Texas kept it.
El Paso was platted in
1859, but grew very slowly due to its remoteness. With the arrival of Southern Pacific railroads in
1881, the population boomed to 10,000 by
1890 census. With a tempting green valley and a nearly perfect climate year-around, the town attracted a constant stream of newcomers: gamblers, gunfighters, thieves, cattle and horse rustlers, murderers, priests, Chinese railroad laborers, prostitutes and followed of course, entrepreneurs.
Prior to the
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona Territory, the most famous gunfight, at that time, was the
"Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight" which took place during the evening of
April 14,
1881. Three days prior, a new town Marshal
Dallas Stoudenmire, the sixth marshal in eight months, was hired by El Paso. With Stoudenmire's imposing presence and fierce reputation, the violent-hardened town started to fear him. It was claimed that Stoudenmire approached and bluntly give an ultimatum, even to the most callous outlaws: gallop out of town before dawn or be shot on sight at sun-up. Under the influence of liquor, he was quick to temper who would shoot first and ask questions later. Stoudenmire's influence was so deep that he controlled the town with an iron fist. The council lacked the courage to discharge him so the local newspaper suggested his resignation, but Stoudenmire was not of a "suggestive nature". Finally, on
May 27,
1882, the council met to ask for his resignation. Stoudenmire knew what the council wanted, but it didn't help to satisfy his thoughts. He unexpectedly entered the chambers and paced around the room several times. He demanded answers from the council. Twirling his pistols, Stoudenmire snarled, "I can straddle every God-damn aldermen on this council". Terrified council said nothing and slowly the tremoring Mayor decided that it was not time to discuss his dismissal; he coughed an adjournment. Stoudenmire walked out and remained a Marshal, but not for long.
Prostitution and
gambling flourished until
World War I, when the
Department of the Army pressured El Paso authorities to crack down on vice. Many of these activities continued to flourish in neighboring Ciudad Juárez, especially during the
Prohibition, where bars and saloons on the Mexican side flourished.
The
Mexican Revolution (
1910-
1920) began in 1910, and Ciudad Juárez was the focus of intense fighting. Occasionally, stray shots killed
civilians on the El Paso side. El Paso became a center of intrigue as various exiled leaders including
Victoriano Huerta and (for a time)
Pancho Villa were seen in the city. General
John Joseph Pershing was stationed at Fort Bliss, and mounted his ill fated expedition against Pancho Villa after the infamous raid on
Columbus, New Mexico on
March 9,
1916. The cavalry under Pershing were paid in
gold, in competition with Pancho Villa, who offered $50 per machine gun. (When World War I began, Pershing's cavalry had to remain in the Army for the duration of the war, and were no longer paid in gold.)
In
1934,
Walter T. Varney and
Louis Mueller established the passenger airline called
Varney Speed Lines in El Paso and operated out of the
El Paso International Airport. After the airline was taken over in
1937 by
Robert Six, he relocated its headquarters to
Denver, Colorado and renamed it with the more recognized name of
Continental Airlines, as it is known to this day.
After World War II,
Werner von Braun and other German rocket scientists were brought to Fort Bliss in El Paso, along with many of the V2 rockets and rocket parts, starting the American rocket program; they were later moved to Huntsville, Alabama. One V2 rocket is still on display at Fort Bliss.
From World War II until the
1980s, El Paso boomed into a sprawling city. The expansion of Fort Bliss from a frontier post to a major
Cold War military center brought in thousands of soldiers, dependents, and retirees. The industrial economy was dominated by
copper smelting,
oil refining, and the proliferation of low wage industries (particularly garment making), which drew thousands of Mexican immigrants. New housing subdivisions were built, expanding El Paso far to the west, northeast and east of its original core areas.
In 1963, the U.S. agreed to cede a
long-disputed part of El Paso to Mexico due to changes in the course of the Rio Grande, which forms the international boundary between the two countries. The area boundaries were rationalized and the Rio Grande was re-channelled. A former island in the river was re-developed. The
Chamizal National Memorial, administered by the
National Park Service is now a major park in El Paso;
El Chamizal is the corresponding park in Juárez.
Since 1990, the local economy has been adversely affected by competition with low wage labor abroad, and the closure of the main copper smelter due to fluctuant metal prices, and excessive lead contamination found throughout many of the surrounding areas. The passage of the
North American Free Trade Agreement has been a mixed blessing, with local
transport,
retail, and
service firms expanding, but with the accelerated loss of many
industrial jobs. El Paso is very sensitive to changes in the Mexican economy and the regulation of cross border traffic; the Mexican peso devaluation of late
1994 and the temporary closing of the
ports of entry and subsequent stringent controls of cross border traffic after the
September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack were felt strongly in El Paso.
Since the
1849 establishment of Fort Bliss in the El Paso area, El Paso has seen a boom in population. More recently, the BRAC commission has marked the base to receive more the 18,000 troops, which is estimated to add 547 million dollars to the El Paso economy. El Paso is also home to the
El Paso International Airport and a high school dedicated to Captain John L. Chapin.
Recent city-wide projects funded through the election of bonds have once again started the urban sprawl onward for El Paso. The most prominent of these projects was the complete refurbishment of the
Plaza Theater in Downtown El Paso. The project was completed on March 17, 2006 at a cost of $38 Million.
|
El Paso (top) and Ciudad Juárez (bottom) as seen from earth orbit; the Rio Grande River is the thin line separating the two cities through the middle of the photograph. A portion of the Franklin Mountains can be seen in the upper-left. Image courtesy of NASA. |
El Paso is located at (31.790208, -106.423242). The city's elevation is 3,800 feet (1140 m) above sea level. The rustic and reddish
North Franklin Peak towers at 7,192 feet above sea level and is the highest peak in the city which can be seen from the distance of roughly 60 miles from all directions. According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 648.9
km² (250.5
mi²).
The
Franklin Mountains extend into El Paso from the north and neatly divide the city into several sections, along with
Fort Bliss and the
El Paso International Airport:
*Areas of El Paso
**
Northwest El Paso **
Central El Paso**
Northeast El Paso**
East El Paso**
Mission Valley El Paso (Lower Valley and Ysleta, TX)
The
Rio Grande Rift, which passes around the southern end of the
Franklin Mountains, is where the
Rio Grande River flows. The river defines the border between El Paso from
Ciudad Juarez, Mexico to the south and west until it river passes north of the border with
Mexico where it then separates El Paso from
Doña Ana County, New Mexico. An extinct volcano,
Mt. Cristo Rey rises within the
Rio Grande Rift just to the west of El Paso on the
New Mexico side of the
Rio Grande River. Other volcanic features include
Kilbourne hole and
Hunt's hole, which are
Maar volcanic craters 30 miles (50 km) west of the
Franklin Mountains.
El Paso is surrounded by the
Chihuahuan Desert, the easternmost section of the
Basin and Range Region.
* Temperatures average from an average high of 56 °F (13 °C) and an average low of 29 °F (−2 °C) in January to an average high of 96 °F (36 °C [more than 100 °F is possible]) and an average low of 68 °F (20 °C) in August.
* The city's record high is 114 °F (45.5 °C), and its record low is −8 °F (−22 °C).
* The sun shines 302 days per year on average in El Paso, 83 percent of daylight hours, according to the
El Paso Weather Bureau. It is from this that the city is nicknamed,
The Sun City.
* Rainfall averages 8.74 inches (223 mm) per annum, most of which occurs during the summer
monsoonal season that typically starts in July and usually ends in mid-September. During this period, winds originate more from the south to southeast direction and carry moisture from the
Pacific Ocean, the
Gulf of California and the
Gulf of Mexico into the region. As this moisture moves into the El Paso area (and many other areas in the southwest), a combination of orographic uplift from the mountains, and daytime heating from the sun, causes
thunderstorms to develop across the region. This is what causes most of the rain in the El Paso area.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | | Avg high °F (°C) | 57 (13) | 63 (17) | 70 (21) | 79 (26) | 87 (30) | 96 (35) | 95 (35) | 93 (33) | 88 (31) | 79 (26) | 66 (18) | 58 (14) | 78 (25) |
|---|
| Avg low °F (°C) | 31 (0) | 35 (1) | 41 (5) | 49 (9) | 58 (14) | 66 (18) | 70 (21) | 68 (20) | 62 (16) | 50 (10) | 38 (3) | 32 (0) | 50 (10) |
|---|
| Rainfall inches (millimeters) | 0.4 (10.16) | 0.4 (10.16) | 0.3 (7.62) | 0.2 (5.08) | 0.3 (7.62) | 0.7 (17.78) | 1.6 (40.64) | 1.5 (38.10) | 1.4 (35.56) | 0.7 (17.78) | 0.3 (7.62) | 0.6 (15.24) | 8.6 (218.44) |
|---|
Source: Weather.com[Weather.com] |
El Paso votes overwhelmingly Democratic, like most of the Mexican border areas but unlike much of
Texas. It is represented by
Silvestre Reyes in the U.S. House; in the Texas State House, by
Paul Moreno,
Pat Haggerty,
Chente Quintanilla,
Norma Chavez,
Joe Pickett; and in the State Senate, by
Eliot Shapleigh. The mayor of El Paso is
John Cook.
|
El Paso's skyline at night (circa early 1990s) |
As of the
census of 2000, there were 563,662 people, 182,063 households, and 141,098 families residing in the city. The
population density was 873.7/km² (2,263.0/mi²). There were 193,663 housing units at an average density of 300.2/km² (777.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 73.28%
White, 3.12%
African American, 0.82%
Native American, 1.12%
Asian, 0.10%
Pacific Islander, 18.15% from
other races, and 3.40% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 76.62% of the population.
There are 182,063 households, out of which 42.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were
married couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.5% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.07 and the average family size was 3.54.
In the city the population was spread out with 31.0% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,124, and the median income for a family was $35,432. Males had a median income of $28,989 versus $21,540 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $14,388. About 19.0% of families and 22.2% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 29.8% of those under age 18 and 17.7% of those age 65 or over.
According to the
2004 United States Census Bureau population estimates, the El Paso metropolitan area had a population of 713,126.
Professional teams
El Paso is, as of 2006, the 2nd largest U.S. city by population (behind
Austin, Texas) not to have a team in one of the big four
professional leagues (
NHL,
NBA,
NFL,
MLB). Most of the city's sports are played by the
UTEP in the campus stadium. El Paso hosts the annual NCAA
Sun Bowl,
Boxing matches, and occasional
NBA and
NFL preseason games. El Paso is also the site of the
Borderland Derby horse race held in the nearby suberb of
Sunland Park.
Independent teams
Other sports include independent league teams like:
* Baseball
**
El Paso Diablos (Independent baseball team)
* Soccer
**
El Paso Patriots*Hockey
**
El Paso Rhinos (Junior hockey, will begin play in fall 2006)
Arenas
*
UTEP owns the two largest stadiums in El Paso:
**
Don Haskins Center has a capacity of 12,222 and is used for
UTEP's basketball teams and special events such as concerts and boxing matches. It is also where the graduation ceremony takes place for
UTEP students.
**
Sun Bowl Stadium has a capacity of 52,000 and is home to the
UTEP Miners football team. It is also home to the annual
Vitalis Sun Bowl (reported on
August 8, 2006 to have been renamed the
Brut Sun Bowl), soccer games, and special events such as concerts.
* The other major arena venues include:
**
El Paso County Coliseum: (Concerts/Hockey)
**
Cohen Stadium: (
baseball)
**
Socorro Athletic Complex: (High School football)
**
Patriot Stadium: (
El Paso Patriots soccer)
* Future major arena venues proposed include:
**
Downtown Arena: (Conventions/Sports/Multi-purpose) Included in the controversial
Paso Del Norte Group Downtown Rejuvination Proposal. The future arena is to be built on the corner of W. San Antonio Ave. and S. Santa Fe St. adjacent to the current Civic Center. Little has been made known of what accommodations the new arena will have, or when construction will begin.
Public school districts
*
El Paso Independent School District (external website: http://www.episd.org) Note: Supreme Court Justice
Sandra Day O'Connor is a graduate of
Austin High School.
*
Ysleta Independent School District (external website: http://www.yisd.net)
*
Socorro Independent School District (external website: http://www.sisd.net)
*
Canutillo Independent School District (external website: http://www.canutillo-isd.org)
*
Clint Independent School District (external website: http://www.clintweb.net)
*
San Elizario Independent School District*
Fabens Independent School District*
Tornillo Independent School District*
Anthony Independent School DistrictPrivate and parochial schools
* There are several parochial schools within the
El Paso Catholic Diocese *
Cathedral High School*
Loretto Academy*
El Paso Country Day School*
El Paso Jewish Academy*
Radford School. Note: Supreme Court Justice
Sandra Day O'Connor attended Radford.
*
St. Clement's Episcopal Parish School*
Covenant Christian Academy*Bethel Christian School
*Community of Faith Christian School
*Faith Christian Academy
*Immanuel Baptist Christian School
*Jesus Chapel Christian School
*Northeast Christian Academy
*Rose of Sharon Christian School
Two-year colleges
*
El Paso Community CollegeFour-year colleges
*
University of Texas at El Paso*
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Campus*
Tom Lea (1906-2001) was a well-known artist of national repute, and author of
The King Ranch. He frequently collaborated with Carl Hertzog, a typographer. Quote from Laura Bush "Tom Lea's Rio Grande also hangs in the Oval Office and it reminds the President of our good friend. Tom Lea was a gifted El Pasoan artist and writer who died at age 97 shortly after my husband's inauguration. The President likes to quote Tom and he used his favorite lines in his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention. Tom once said, 'We live on the East side of the mountain. It is the sunrise side, not the sunset side. It is the side to see the day coming; not the side to see the day that is gone. The best day is the day coming with eyes wide open and the heart grateful.'"
*
Urbici Soler was born in Spain who later became a naturalized American citizen, came to reside permanently in El Paso, at the behest of Father Lourdes Costa, to carve the massive
crucifix on top of Mt. Cristo Rey, which is still the site of annual pilgrimages in October.
*
Sarah Ioannides is the current Music Director and Conductor of the El Paso Symphony, which is in its 75th season, the oldest symphony in Texas.
*A
Thanksgiving Mass was first celebrated in this country by the Spanish conquistadors on
April 2,
1598 (well before the first Thanksgiving in Massachusetts).
*
Viva El Paso! is the annual returning musical which celebrates El Paso´s rich cultural history through dance, dramatic scenes, narration and songs. The story begins with the early Indian settlement and takes through Spanish conquest, Mexican domination and the wild wild South-West. This two hour lasting outdoor musical is staged at the
McKelligon Canyon Amphitheater. Performances in Summer.
Area museums
*
The Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens*
The El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Center*
The El Paso Museum of Archaeology at Wilderness Park*
The El Paso Museum of Art*
The El Paso Museum of History*[https://www.bliss.army.mil/Museum/fort_bliss_museum.htm Fort Bliss Museums & Study Center]
*Insights El Paso Science Museum
*
Magoffin Home State Historic Site*
The National Border Patrol Museum*
Railroad & Transportation Museum of El Paso*
War Eagles Air Museum*
Gene Roddenberry PlanetariumSites within the city limits
*
Chamizal National Memorial*
The El Paso Zoo*
Fort Bliss*
Franklin Mountains State Park*
Plaza Hotel*
The Plaza Theatre*
Union Depot*
University of Texas at El Paso*
Ysleta Mission*
Socorro MissionSites within the surrounding area
*
Carlsbad Caverns National Park*
Guadalupe Mountains National Park*
Hueco Tanks State Park*
Lincoln National Forest*
Maar volcanic craters
*
Mt. Cristo Rey*
White Sands National Monument*
Alamagordo, New Mexico*
Arrey, New Mexico*
Ciudad Juarez*
Derry, New Mexico*
Dona Ana*
Hatch, New Mexico *
Las Cruces, New Mexico*
Mesilla, New Mexico*
Organ, New Mexico*
Rincon, New Mexico*
Salem, New Mexico *
White Sands Missile Range*
Tularosa, New Mexico*
Doña Ana County, New MexicoAirports
*
El Paso International Airport*
Horizon AirportPassenger rail
* The historic
Union Depot with service provided by
AmtrakMajor highways
*
Interstate 10*
U.S. Route 54 Patriot Freeway
*
U.S. Route 62*
U.S. Route 85 Border Highway
*
U.S. Route 180*
SH 20*
SH 178*
SH 478*
SL 375 Purple Heart Memorial Freeway; includes Border Highway portion of
U.S. Route 85Mass transit
*
Sun Metro Mass Transit system operates a system of medium to large capacity buses all around the city of El Paso. Amusingly, before
1987 Sun Metro was named Sun City Area Transit (SCAT).
* El Paso County Transit makes trips with small capacity buses mainly in the Eastern El Paso area.
*
Bridge of the Americas/Cordova Bridge*
Ysleta Port of Entry*
Paso del norte BridgeNewspapers
*
El Paso TimesEl Paso had another daily newspaper,
El Paso Herald-Post, but that newspaper ended publication in 1997.
Radio stations
* AM
**600
KROD News/Talk/Sports
**630
KLEA Adult Contemporary
**690
KTSM News/Talk
**750
KAMA Spanish
**920
KBNA Spanish
**1060
KXPL Spanish
**1150
KSVE Spanish
**1340
KVIV Spanish
**1380
KHEY Sports
**1590
KELP Religious
**1650
KBIV Country
* FM
**88.5
KTEP University
**89.5
KKLY Christian Radio (
K-Love)-previously identified as
KXCR**91.1
KVER Spanish
**92.3
KOFX Oldies
**93.1
KSII Top-40
**93.9
KINT Tejano
**95.5
KLAQ Rock
**94.7
KHRO Spanish Alternative
**96.3
KHEY Country
**97.5
KBNA Spanish
**99.1
XHEPR Classic Rock
**99.9
KTSM Adult Contemporary
**102.1
KPRR Hip-Hop/R&B
**103.5
XHEM Spanish Pop
**104.3
XHTO Top-40
El Paso also shares radio stations with nearby cities
Las Cruces, New Mexico and
Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua.
Television stations
* El Paso is at the intersection of three states (Texas, New Mexico, and Chihuahua), and two countries (the USA and Mexico).
* El Paso is the only major Texas city on
Mountain Time.
* When Ciudad Juárez was on
Central Time and El Paso was on Mountain Time, it was possible to celebrate New Year's twice in the same evening. Both cities are now on Mountain Time.
* The term "
pachuco" came from the
Mexican Spanish slang word for El Paso, probably originating early in the 20th century, then spreading westward throughout the Southwest, following the line of migration associated with Mexican railroad workers (
traqueros).
* The college football
Sun Bowl has been held in El Paso since 1935.
* The El Paso City Council voted to spend $112,000 to hire a private security firm to guard the city's police station.
* The Jaime Reyes version of the
DC Comics superhero
Blue Beetle is a native of El Paso.
*
Eddie Guerrero, WWE star, was born and raised in El Paso, he was honored with the Star of the Mountain.
* El Paso was the largest city in the United States without a PBS television station until 1978. In fact, the city had only three English-speaking channels, and cable subscribers in the 1970s and 1980s could receive four
Los Angeles independent channels:
KTLA-TV Channel 5,
KCAL-TV Channel 9 (then KHJ-TV),
KTTV-TV Channel 11 and
KCOP-TV Channel 13. All but KTLA has been discontinued on cable.
* In
Kill Bill Vol.1 and 2, El Paso is where the
Massacre at Two Pines took place (at the
Two Pines Wedding Chapel).
*The 24,000-acre
Franklin Mountains State Park is the largest Urban park in the
United States and is entirly in El Paso.
*In 1930,
Conrad Hilton opened his first highrise hotel in El Paso, the now
Plaza Hotel.
*
Manos: The Hands of Fate, which is reputed to be one of the worst films ever made, was shot in and around El Paso. It premiered in
1966 at the downtown Capri Theater.
*
"The Getaway" (
1972) starring
Steve McQueen and
Ali MacGraw.
*
"The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training" (
1977) starring
William Devine.
*
"Big Wednesday" (
1978) starring
Jan Michael Vincent, and
Gary Busey.
*
"Glory Road"*
"The Day After Tomorrow"*
"The Border" (1982) staring
Jack Nicholson and
Harvey Keitel*
"The Original Latin Kings of Comedy" featuring
George Lopez,
Cheech Marin, Joey Medina, Alex Reymundo, and
Paul Rodriguez. It was shot at the
Abraham Chavez Theater.
*
El Paso County Website*
Visit El Paso*
The University of Texas at El Paso
