El Conquistador

This is a 1929 White House Department Store window display designed by Pedro Rey

      EPCHS, in conjunction with the El Paso Museum of History, will sponsor the first annual El Paso Antique Appraisal Fair on April 27 between noon and 5 p.m. at the Museum of History, 510 N. Santa Fe.
      The Appraisal Fair is similar in style to the Antiques Roadshow seen on PBS. The Fair is a one-day heirloom appraisal event that will be held on the first floor of the Museum. Entry into the Museum is free, but tickets for the appraisals cost $20 and are good for two appraisals. Items to be appraised must be items that can be hand carried. No firearms or weaponry will be allowed. Appraisers will provide a verbal appraisal only. Appraisers will be available in the areas of books, manuscripts, maps, pottery, porcelain, collectibles, dolls, toys, sports, fine arts, sculpture, painting, textiles, weavings, quilts, glass & crystal, jewelry, silver and Native Americana and antiquities.
      One of the goals is to have Jackson Polk produce a DVD of El Paso’s Hidden Treasures that will have the look and feel of the Antiques Roadshow. EPCHS and the Museum of History would use the DVD as a gift shop item that would continue to benefit both organizations.
      So, dig out those treasures hidden in your closets and garages. Come get acquainted with the Museum of History and perhaps you’ll show up on El Paso’s Hidden Treasures

Southern Pacific Railroad Station photo from recently acquired photo album

      The featured speaker at our next quarterly meeting is Dr. Ben Brown,who will talk about the historic railroads that connected the Pass with Mexico. Dr. Brown has participated in a number of national meetings with researchers on the history of Mexican railroads. He is currently an associate staff member of the Museo Historico de Ciudad Juarez located at the Ex-Aduana Museum. This was the old government Customs House.
      Prince McKenzie of the Railroad & Transportation Museum of El Paso will discuss the location and condition of Mandy the Mule’s rail car.
      The program is part of the Sesquicentennial Celebration lecture series on the history of transportation at the Pass of the North commemorating the 150th anniversary of historic El Paso & Southwestern Locomotive No. 1.
      The event will be held in the auditorium of the Main Library in downtown El Paso at 2 p.m. on June1.

Dear Society Member,

      It is shaping up to be a busy spring for the El Paso County Historical Society. The first Annual Antiques Appraisal Fair has been a fun challenge to get organized and off the ground. Many of our region’s local experts have agreed to help with the appraisals of all types. This event will benefit the El Paso Museum of History as well as the Historical Society. The planning process for this event has brought our two organizations closer together as we combine our strengths for the future promotion of our area’s rich heritage. We look forward to seeing you all at the Museum of History on Sunday, April 27 from 12 to 5.

      Dolly Dingle’s Tea Party is always a fun event to share with your kids and grandkids. Tickets for this event sell out quickly so be sure and order yours soon. May 18 is the day.

      Finally, on June 1st, we will have our quarterly program featuring the Railroad and Transportation Museum. A report on the whereabouts of Mandy the Mule’s rail car will be given. You may not know that this historic icon of El Paso’s past has been in storage for the last 5 years. The El Paso County Historical Commission was instrumental in helping to fund the restoration of the mule car and its Plaza area display. Prince McKenzie will give a brief discussion on what the future holds for Mandy’s Mule Car.

      The main program, however, will feature Dr. Ben Brown with his presentation on the Railroads of Mexico during the revolution.

      The El Paso County Historical Society is grateful for the many dedicated volunteers needed to put on events like these. Promoting El Paso’s history is a fun job for anyone who decides to get involved. The Burges House Research Center is normally busy with people from all over researching our city directories , archives and old photographs. After one of our regular board meetings, I noticed 5 or 6 of our board members huddled around one of our computers in the back. Pat Worthington had found an old album on eBay from the late 1800’s. The pictures in it showed fascinating views of early downtown El Paso, pictures from the flood of 1897 and early pictures of Fort Bliss and its firing range. A hat was soon passed around and we were able to place a bid for the item. Bidding was fierce, but we won. We were all thrilled with the acquisition which led us to form an “eBay or auction acquisitions” fund. This fund will be used to bring items of importance back to El Paso. Donations to this fund are gladly accepted and will be recognized in our newsletter. We will report to our membership what was purchased with this fund in each quarterly newsletter.

      As you can see, it will be a busy spring. We look forward to seeing you all at one or more of these fun events.

      Thank you All for your support.

            Jack W. Niland

Put on your best hat because the tea is steeping, the scones are baking and the tables are set for the fourth annual Dolly Dingle’s Tea Party at the Burges House on Sunday, May 18 from 2 to 4 in the afternoon.

Mothers bring your daughters, daughters bring your mothers and everybody bring your favorite doll to tea at the Burges House. The menu will feature assorted tea sandwiches, cookies, buttered scones and hot tea. Featured entertainment will be songs by Patricia Rasberry Steinmann accompanied by Sherwood Kaip, M. D., poetry recitation by Betty Phillips, violin solos by Daniel Rivera and a return appearance by Miss Manners. Have your souvenir photograph taken with members of the Six Guns and Shady Ladies group and make sure to buy lots of tickets for all the items that we will be raffling.

Make your reservations by calling Carmen Stearns at 533-3178 as soon as possible. We have limited seating and reservations go quickly, so don’t delay.

      EPCHS has acquired a number of important items related to early El Paso history including an album of early El Paso photographs that we bought on eBay. (eBay is an online auction site) Curator Pat Worthington keeps an eye out for items relative to El Paso that are for sale on eBay. She noted that this album (purchased by the seller at a San Antonio flea market) was up for sale. Pat brought this to the attention of several board members who got together and agreed to contribute the funds to bid on the item. We were high bidders and purchased the item.

      The album contains 46 pictures taken through 1897. Many of the pictures are related to Fort Bliss including field artillery practice, Officer’s Row and a downtown military parade on San Antonio Street. There is a picture of Hart’s Mill in operation and one of the Sheldon Hotel around 1892. Several of the pictures are of the flood of 1897. There is a rare picture of Mexican federales marching down the street and a number of other pictures of Juarez.

      Pat has scanned the pictures and printed copies of them so that they are available for viewing. The pictures are accompanied by a legend identifying the subject in each picture.

       Another recent acquisition is the Joseph F. Friedkin Collection. Mr. Friedkin was the International Water and Boundary Commissioner during the historic Chamizal Settlement. His estate donated a number of items to EPCHS including commemorative plaques of the Chamizal Settlement and an aerial photograph of the Rio Grande Valley from Las Cruces to Fort Hancock. The Gemini Spacecraft took the picture in 1965.

      We also received Mr. Friedkin’s Hall of Honor memorabilia. Mr. Friedkin was inducted into the EPCHS Hall of Honor in 1972.

      The EPCHS received a large scrapbook of early White House Department Store newspaper advertising from 1929 to 1955. The scrapbook is a large (3’x4’) leather volume with the name “The White House” embossed in the front surrounded by tooled flowers. It was made by Hal Elder of El Paso who worked in decorative leather from the 1920’s through the 50’s. The scrapbook contains advertising copy published in the Juarez newspaper El Continental as well as copy published in the local El Paso newspapers. This scrapbook was headed for the junk heap but was rescued by 1-800-GOT-JUNK who brought it to UTEP who gave it to the EPCHS.

      Tying into the scrapbook acquisition are copies of photographs of early White House Department Store window displays designed by Pedro Rey who was a window dresser at both the White House and Popular department stores. Most of the photographs are from the 1920”s and 30’s.

      Copies of the photographs were donated by Magda Flores who recently inherited the collection. Mr. Rey was her maternal grandmother’s uncle.

      Kurt Goetting, EPCHS board member, recently donated a number of items to the Society. Among these items were the original blueprints for the Plaza Theatre and several photographs of the construction as it progressed in 1929. Kurt’s father, C. A. Goetting, was the general contractor and construction engineer of the Plaza.

      Kurt also donated items related to his father’s World War I service. We received his father’s uniform and a picture of his father in the uniform. Corp. Charles A. Goetting served under Richard Burges, Captain, 141st Infantry. One item of interest is a typewritten note signed by Capt. Burges permitting Corp. Goetting to take leave during the 1917 Christmas holidays. Also included in the donation were copies of newspaper articles relating to the formation of the Capt. Burges’ unit and its subsequent activities.

                                  Corp. Charles A. Goetting

       EPCHS Board President Jack Niland was elected to a three-year term on the board of the Texas State Historical Association.                     Congratulations Jack.

       Happy 98th Birthday to Jose Cisneros who was born on April 18, 1910. Mr. Cisneros, a renowned El Paso artist, is a charter member of the El Paso County Historical Society and designed our logo. The picture at right is of the artist as a young man.

       George O’Brien was elected treasurer of EPCHS at the February board meeting. George has been serving as the assistant treasurer and replaces John Butterworth.

In addition, Tony Payan resigned as a board member and was replaced by Jack McGrath. Dr. John Wilbanks was elected to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Carol Miller.

       The El Paso Museum of History has a number of exhibits and presentations including “Bottled in the Past”, an exhibition of glass bottles, which runs through June 1. “Rock ‘n’ Roll El Paso, Take 1 features rock & roll memorabilia from El Paso through May 18. On Saturday, May 3 from noon to 2 p.m. there will be a rock & roll panel moderated by George Reynoso.