On Jan 12, 1915, the El Paso chapter of the National Franchise League organized at hotel Orndorff. The first president was Azina Orndorff DeGroff, who operated the Orndorff Hotel. Charter members of the group were Olga Kohlberg, who founded the first free kindergarten in Texas and served as president of the El Paso Library Association; Blanche Averill who […]
Author: EPCHS
Confused? Clarifying the Differences between the County Historical Society and the County Historical Commission
Since I started my work here in March 2015, I have been asked countless times: “What is the difference between the El Paso County Historical Society and the El Paso County Historical Commission? Is there a difference at all?” Indeed there is. This post should clarify some of the confusion. 1.) We are different types […]
History of Socorro Schools
In 1878, a public school was opened in Socorro and Ysleta, but these schools were not continuous. By 1886, according to the county school census, there were 15 boys and 16 girls students. By 1906, Frances Culligan was teaching school in a two-room adobe building on Socorro Road, boys and girls were educated separately. The […]
The El Paso Mayor race of 1973
In 1973, Mayor Bert Williams ran for a second term despite some controversies during his administration. The mayor split with his city council, even with those who ran on his ticket in 1971, when he won a close race over contractor and city public works alderman, Clinton Wolf. All of his team members expect, one […]
Debbie Reynold’s El Paso Grandmother
The date of this article is August 16, 1954, and it appeared in the El Paso Herald-Post Debbie Reynolds, Movie Star, Possesses 100 Dresses; Her El Paso Grandmother Helped to Make Some of Them Actress Born Here Earns $1250 Weekly, Saves Money, Lives on Budget, Likes Mexican Food By Virginia Turner Clothes worn by Debbie […]
Pioneer residents of Ysleta.
Jacinto Telles purchased a large amount of land in 1825 from the boundary commission when colonial rule over Mexico was declining. The Telles; including Ramon, Richardo, Juan Cruz, Rafael Telles were among the early Spanish settlers along with Pedro Gonzales, who served as Alcalde(mayor) of Ysleta. His son, Jose Maria Gonzales wielded a lot of influence in Ysleta because […]
Holiday Hours
We will be closed December 26 and open the rest of the week by appointment only. Please email us at info@elpasohistory.com to schedule one. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year! We will reopen January 3, 2017 at 10am.
Curator Corner: The Demolition of the Old Ysleta Grade School Building
The Demolition of the Old Ysleta Grade School Building in the 1990s.
Curator Corner: The First Switchboard in Ysleta was in 1913
Mary ONeill-right, with helper, operating the first switchboard in Ysleta, Texas in 1913. Joseph Longo, EPHS Curator