PRESERVING EL PASO HISTORY SINCE 1954

Why It’s Important to Support Local History

We El Pasoans live in a unique place. Some have said El Paso is a big city with a small town feel, a place where everyone seems to know everyone. It’s also a place where thousands of years of history have converged in a small plateau bisected by the Rocky Mountains. And it’s a place where families—mine and yours—have created a legacy.

Social commentator James Baldwin wrote, “…the great form of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, are consciously controlled by it in many ways, and history is literally present in everything we do.”

That is no less true in El Paso. If you’re a native and you’re family has established roots here, surely you all have proud tales of your life in the Pass—memories of President John F. Kennedy speaking to crowds from a balcony at the Hotel Cortez; memories of watching the 1966 Texas Western Championship basketball team playing on T.V., memories of thriving industry and a bustling Downtown. And if you’re not a native, if you’ve only been here a few years, you must have heard the stories that have form El Paso’s lore—and you probably even have some of your own.

These stories, this history, is part of our legacy. The question is: who is going to protect it? We can’t always rely on professors and experts, politicians or even ourselves. That’s why the El Paso County Historical Society is here. We are here to preserve your legacy and share it because you are El Paso’s history. WE are all El Paso’s history. We are the history of the Upper Valley and the Mission Valley, Five Points, and Eastridge, the Willows and El Segundo Barrio.

History, unfortunately, fades. It’s demolished or left in disrepair. It’s ignored or forgotten. The El Paso County Historical Society is here to ensure that it’s not. Our archives, the Burges House, our volunteers are here for you because we’re trying to preserve our history too. That’s why we ask for donations and memberships. We can’t do this alone. We want to continue sharing your story, your legacy.

Everybody has a legacy. Come find yours at the El Paso County Historical Society.

For more information on membership, please contact us at INFO@ELPASOHISTORY.COM. We have memberships for individuals, families, businesses,students and members of the military.