Maria Tarrant Tobias was born in 1880 in Ripley, TN. She was married to William M. Tobias. Mr. Tobias died and Maria raised two children by herself. She was working at the Western Transfer Co. in 1918 and was living on Rio Grande Street. In 1922 she was working as a bookkeeper for Flemming Motor […]
Latest
Presidential Visits to El Paso
For better or for worse, the 2016 presidential election is heating up. Most likely, come November, either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will be elected the 45th president of the United States. This year, immigration has been a focal point in the minds of the candidates and voters. Because of El Paso’s proximity to the border and to Mexico, it’s safe to assume whomever is elected will have to deal with this ever changing and vocal community. Surely other presidents have.
Since 1891, U.S. presidents have traveled to the Borderland, some making numerous stops during their presidency. Some have come to the Pass to campaign, while others have engaged in complex, monumental diplomatic discussions and actions with international ramifications. This gallery contains photos from some of those visits. These photos were used in a talk in March 2016 at the El Paso County Historical Society titled “Presidents at the Pass,” presented by the Honorable William Moody of the 34th District Court. Those not credited are available in our archive.
Johanna Riordan O’ Donnell: Faben’s Pioneer
Johanna Riordan was born in Cork County, Ireland, but grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. She came to Fabens in 1902 as the young bride of Patrick O’Donnell who worked for the railroads that played a big role in the development of Fabens. Johanna remembered being the only Anglo women in Fabens as well as […]
The Mooney family of Ysleta
James Sylvester Mooney was born on Oct. 4, 1885, in Collinwood, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. He was a graduate of West Point. He served in the U.S. Army from 1916 until his retirement in 1957. Mooney was a Calvary officer in the 2nd and seventh Cavalry during the Mexican revolution, and Adjustment General at Ft Bliss. […]
Mary Chrystyne Bower: Horse riding school pioneer
During the great depression Mary Chrystyne Bower was in danger of losing her ranch but then she got a call from Radford Schools for Girls asking her to teach their students how to ride a horse. Bower established the Bower Riding school. The ranch is now known as Poki Roni on North Loop and Yarbrough […]
Lydia Nash Grueling: Lower Valley civic leader and buisnesswoman
Lydia Nash Grueling was born on October 18,1896 in Clifton.Texas. After graduation from high school she attended the Palmer Secretarial School. Grueling married F.W. Grueling in 1920 in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The couple had 2 children. They came to El Paso in 1921, living at Sunny Acres then moved to a house on Moon street […]
Jean Staudenmayer: El Paso’s Horsewoman and Saddle maker
Elise Jean Staudenmayer was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1909. While living on a farm in Leachville, Arkansas Jean’s love for horses developed and also her skills as a horsewoman. In Leachhville, her father, Martin, was a medical doctor who ran a private practice. Jean became a nursing student but decided it was not for […]
Timeline of Community Theater in El Paso 1919-1983
1919: The newly formed El Paso Municipal Theater Association was putting on plays and showcasing local talent at El Paso High School. It appeared to have not lasted too long. 1921: The El Paso Women’s Club drama club was reestablished by Mrs. Warren Small and Mrs. Jerome Dale. It had a membership of 75, mostly […]
The Moon Family: Pioneers of Socorro
The Moon family was a prominent farming family in Socorro. William Blanchard Moon Sr. and another lower valley pioneer named Moritz Lowenstein jointly bought 100 acres in Socorro but divided their interest in 1900. When the family came to Socorro in 1906, the area had been abandoned for many years and they did not have […]
Ysleta’s Old Valley Inn
The Old Valley Inn dates back to the 1850s, it was one of the oldest buildings in El Paso. The Old Valley Inn was bought by Gaspar Giron from the Catholic church which used it as a convent for nuns. He made it an inn to accommodate passengers on the Sante Fe stagecoach route. He […]