ashley

Mildred Vogel and Ida Ashley

Mildred Vogel was the only woman title executive  in the United States in 1929. Vogel had an office in the old Caples Building and presided over the El Paso Branch of Stewart Title and Guaranty Company. She handled hundreds of deals and owned the Vogel Hotel on West Missouri Street. Vogel also invested in various properties.

Ida Ashley was another  El Paso woman business pioneer.  Ashley was born in Kentucky and her father was a Christian minister.  Her husband Harry Ashley was a railroad conductor until his death in 1936. After Harry’s death, Ida bought and sold real estate. Ida became so successful in that field that she was able to make large real estate investments with her fortune. She also went into the real estate and investment business in California. In El Paso, Ashley invested and helped her son establish a Mexican Restaurant called Ashley’s Gardens and later Ashley’s brand of  canned Mexican food.

Mrs. Ashley was an active member of the El Paso Women’s Club and helped raise over $200,000 for various charities, clubs, and organizations. Ashley started the El Paso Christian School for Girls and a bought a house for the organization in San Jose. It later became the Teen Challenge Home. Ashley died in 1977.

Joseph Longo

EPHS volunteer

Since 1954 the El Paso County Historical Society has been a driving force in the historic scene of El Paso. EPCHS strives to foster research into the history of the El Paso area; acquire and make available to the public historic materials; publish and encourage historical writing pertaining to the area; and to develop public consciousness of our rich heritage.