About the 16th District

El Paso History

(photos by Brian Kanof) 

El Paso
County exists because of the Rio Grande, the fifth longest river in North America. If there were no Rio Grande, there would be no El Paso, Las Cruces, N.M. or Cd. Juarez, Mexico.

The county rests at the foothills of the Franklin Mountains, the southernmost landmark of the Rockies. The Franklins are 15 miles long and three miles wide. Early military maps called them Los Organos (a continuation of the Organs).

Courtesy of Brian Kanof

The first known European penetration of the El Paso Southwest occurred in 1581 when three Spanish priests and nine soldiers trekked through the Franklins and into New Mexico to christianize the Indians. The intrepid travelers were enchanted by the wide river, broad valleys, oak trees, and wild duck and geese. A town called El Paso del Norte started in 1659 with the construction of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe (Our Lady of Guadalupe). For nearly two hundred years the village was a way station between Chihuahua City, Mexico and Santa Fe. Today we call it Ciudad Juarez.

Pueblo Indians rebelled in northern New Mexico during the 1680s and drove out the Spanish immigrants. Faithful Indians and the Spanish immigrants fled south alongside the Rio Grande to Paso del Norte. The Spaniards and the Indians settled in this region. Today, the Tigua Indians are one of only two Indian groups in Texas officially recognized by the U.S. government as a tribe. The Tigua missions still identify these small communities.

Courtesy of Brian Kanof

El Paso City was first settled in 1827 by Ponce de Leon, a Spaniard from Paso del Norte (not the seeker of the Fountain of Youth in Florida). A few Americans entered the region in the 1840s. James Magoffin and Simeon Hart both established homes, families and businesses in El Paso. Their principle line of business was as traders — their wagons moved goods from Chihuahua City, Mexico to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

El Paso Today

Today El Paso County has more than 700,000 residents making it the largest border community in the U.S. Juarez, Mexico has approximately 1,000,000 residents making it Mexico’s fourth largest city. Principal industries are manufacturing, cotton, copper mining, cattle, and clothing.

Courtesy of Brian Kanof

Seven major airlines serve El Paso/Juarez. El Paso County is generally accepted as the second oldest European settled area in the continental United States. It is a true multi-cultural county with 70.3 percent Hispanic population with a large German and Japanese contingent at Fort Bliss. The annual average precipitation is 7.8 inches with half of the precipitation falling as rain during July, August, and September. There is a low average humidity of 20 to 30 percent. There is sunshine 83 percent of the time, which is one of the highest percentages in the United States.

Most importantly, El Pasoans are said to be the friendliest people in Texas!

Education in El Paso

The El Paso area boasts eight major school districts: El Paso Independent School District, Ysleta Independent School District, Socorro Independent School , Clint Independent School District, Canutillo Independent School District, Fabens Independent School District, San Elizario Independent School District, and Anthony Independent School District. These districts provide over 210 campuses to the El Paso community.

El Paso also has over 25 parochial schools and 50 private schools, many of which are renowned for their academic excellence. Loretto Academy for girls and St. Clement's Episcopal Parish School have both received the prestigious National Blue Ribbon award, joining the small handful of schools recognized as the best in the country. Several other private schools offer specialized academics or technical and mechanical education.

Courtesy of Brian Kanof

El Paso and Juarez are the centers for several institutions of higher learning and have a reputation for promoting diversity within academics. The most prominent area institutions are: The University of Texas at El Paso, New Mexico State University, El Paso Community College, and Park University in Fort Bliss. In addition to UTEP, NMSU, and EPCC, the El Paso region also offers various other high quality alternatives in higher education including Howard Payne University, the University of Phoenix, Webster University, and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso.

El Paso Economy

The City of El Paso is home to Fort Bliss, the largest Air Defense Artillery Training Center in the world. Since 1848, Fort Bliss has grown steadily alongside its host city. Located in the northeastern region of El Paso, Fort Bliss currently stretches over 1,119,700 acres into southern New Mexico. The base occupies an area larger than the entire state of Rhode Island.

El Paso is one of 15 cities in the nation, and the only city in Texas to win Empowerment Zone urban designation. The El Paso Empowerment Zone provides funds and incentives for businesses to locate or expand within the Zone, build sustainable neighborhoods and develop human capital.

El Paso is very fortunate to have four chambers of commerce that contribute to the economic development of its city. The El Paso Black Chamber of Commerce, El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce and the Korean Chamber of Commerce provide business, administrative and technology services, among other services for their members.

Sports in El Paso

Courtesy of Brian Kanof

El Paso is well known not only for its sports teams, but also for its great fans. El Paso is home to multiple professional teams, among them the El Paso Diablos, of the Central Baseball League, and the El Paso Patriots of the United Soccer Leagues.

El Paso fans are also supporters of their local intercollegiate teams. El Paso Community College Athletics and UTEP Athletics turn out many spectators, and provide a unique source of community support for our local student/athletes.

(Photos by Brian Kanof)