El Paso County, Texas

Alderete-Candelaria House Bailey Cemetery Bataan Memorial Trainway Biggs Air Force Base Biggs Army Airfield Burges House Butterfield Overland Mail Camino Real Camino Real Camino Real Camino Real Camino Real (The King's Highway) Captain Frank Jones Captain James W. Magoffin, Major Simeon Hart Casa Ortiz Chihuahuita Chihuahuita Concordia Cemetery Concordia Cemetery Corpus Christi de la Ysleta Discover Texas, Land of Contrast Doniphan Expedition Douglass Grammar and High School Dr. Lawrence A. Nixon Early El Paso Water Systems Early Site of Socorro Mission El Camino Real (The King's Highway) El Paso El Paso El Paso & Southwestern Railroad Locomotive Number One El Paso and Southwestern Railroad Building El Paso County, C.S.A. El Paso del Rio del Norte El Paso First Ward Chapel El Paso High School El Paso International Airport El Paso Salt War El Paso Union Depot El Paso's Chinese Community El Paso's Syrian-Lebanese Community Espejo-Beltran Expedition - 1582-1583 Estela Portillo Trambley Evergreen Cemetery Felix Martinez First Baptist Church of El Paso First Christian Church of El Paso First Presbyterian Church of El Paso Fort Bliss Fort Bliss at Lanoria Mesa Fort Bliss Enemy Alien Detention Site, WWII Fort Bliss, C.S.A. Four Men Shot Dead Franklin Canal Fusselman Canyon Granja Rio Vista Guardian Angel Church Hendricks-Laws Sanatorium / Roger Bacon Seminary Henry C. Trost Henry O. Flipper Hotel Cortez Hotel Paso Del Norte Houchen Community Center Hueco Tanks James H. White John Wesley Hardin Juan de Onate Expedition - 1598 La Hacienda La Isla Cemetery Los Portales Lugar Inicial De Mision De Socorro Mabel Welch Magoffin Homestead Magoffinsville Marcelino Serna Martin Building Memorial Park Mesa Water Boosting Station Mills Building Mission de Nuestra Senora del Perpetua Mission Nuestra Senora de la Purisima Concepcion Del Socorro Old B'Nai Zion Synagogue Old County Jail Old County Jail Old Fort Bliss Old Main Old San Francisco Historic District Oldest Mission in Texas Olga Kohlberg Olivas Villanueva Aoy Pioneer Plaza Presidio de San Elizario Presidio Nuestra Senora del Pilar y Glo. S.J. Radford School Refinery Area Rio Vista Farm Robert Ewing Thomason Rodriguez-Chamuscado Expedition, 1581 Salt War Salt War San Andres Salt Trail San Antonio de Senecu San Elizario San Elizario San Elizario Cemetery San Elizario Chapel San Jacinto Plaza San Lorenzo Scenic Drive Simeon Hart Residence, Site of Hart's Mill (El Molino) Singer Building Site of Camp Concordia and Fort Bliss Site of First Mission in Texas Site of Frontera Site of the First Church Building in El Paso Site of the First Fort Bliss Site of Tienda de Carbajal Smelter Cemetery Smeltertown Socorro Southwestern General Hospital Southwestern International Livestock Show and Rodeo Stage Station Sunset Heights Tays Place Public Housing Project Texas The Architecture of Henry C. Trost in El Paso The Butterfield Trail The City of El Paso The Pass of the North The Rainmakers of 1891 The University of Texas at El Paso The Woman's Club of El Paso Tornillo Tornillo-Guadalupe (Fabens-Caseta) Bridge Trinidad Concha Turner Home Urbici Soler Victoriano Huerta Wallace Apartments William Beaumont General Hospital Ysleta Mission

El Paso County, Texas, has a long and rich history that dates back thousands of years. Before the arrival of European settlers, the area was inhabited by various Native American groups, including the Apache, Comanche, and Jumano tribes. They lived off the land, hunting, farming, and trading. The first recorded European exploration of the region occurred in 1581 when Juan de Oñate claimed the area for Spain.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, El Paso County became an important stopping point along the Camino Real, a trade route connecting Mexico City with Santa Fe. Spanish settlers established the town of San Elizario in 1789 as a waystation for travelers. The settlement grew as more people arrived, including Mexican and American traders, and it became a center for ranching and farming.

In the mid-19th century, El Paso County experienced significant changes brought about by the Mexican-American War and the subsequent Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. With the establishment of the new border between Mexico and the United States, El Paso became a strategic area for trade and military operations. Fort Bliss, one of the oldest Army posts in the Southwest, was established in the area in 1848 to protect American settlers and the new border.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, El Paso County experienced a population boom due to the growth of mining, agriculture, and the railroad industry. The city of El Paso, which was incorporated in 1873, played a pivotal role in these developments. As a border town, it served as a gateway for trade with Mexico and witnessed significant cultural and demographic changes as diverse groups of immigrants arrived seeking economic opportunities.

Today, El Paso County continues to be an important region characterized by a unique blend of cultures, influenced by its rich history and its location on the U.S.-Mexico border. With a population of over 800,000, it is a vibrant center of commerce, education, and tourism, attracting visitors from both sides of the border and beyond.
Brief timeline of the history of El Paso County, Texas:

  • 1682: Spanish explorer Juan de Oñate claims the El Paso area for Spain.
  • 1827: El Paso del Norte is established as a new Mexican border town.
  • 1848: The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed, transferring the El Paso region from Mexico to the United States.
  • 1850: El Paso becomes part of the newly formed Texas state.
  • 1881: The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway reaches El Paso, spurring rapid growth and development.
  • 1888: El Paso County is officially organized, with El Paso as the county seat.
  • 1909: The Chamizal dispute is resolved, confirming the Rio Grande as the border between the United States and Mexico.
  • 1916: The Mexican Revolution spills over into El Paso County, resulting in military clashes and tension along the border.
  • 1924: The construction of the iconic Paso del Norte International Bridge is completed, further strengthening El Paso's role as a major border crossing.
  • 1951: The Korean War leads to increased military presence in El Paso County, with the establishment of Fort Bliss.
  • 1963: The El Paso Museum of Art is opened, showcasing a diverse collection of artwork from around the world.
  • 1993: The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is implemented, further boosting trade and economic activity in El Paso County.

This timeline provides a condensed summary of the historical journey of El Paso County, Texas.