El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-03-26
HISTORICALLY.

Twenty-Five years before the Pilgrims founded their
colony at Plymouth, Spanish commander Onate leading
his troops from old New Mexico stopped for rest and
recreation at picturesque adobe settlement the banks
OF the Rio Gande and wrote under date of May 4 $685.
to his friends SPAIN glowing description of the future
possibilities of this hamlet which destined to become
the metropolitan city of FL PasO three hundred
years the spell of 'nanana tomorrow held full sway,
and IN 1888 Ell Paso then known as Franklin, still
sleepy little settlement Of about three hundred inhabitants,
reeourths of whom MeXicans the nearest railroad
telegraph station being thousand miles away.
Despite this apparently hopeless isolation, there
group Of pioneers who that nature had intended that
this particular location should become the distributing
point and center of commercial activity for enormous
and February 25th 1859, proposed plan was
drawn of the City of Ell Paso setting forth the principal
streets plazas and highways they exist today Twenty
five years Of slow but steady growth followed and IN
''real city directory published IN 1885, the compiler
proudly proclaimed Ell Paso be the railroad center and
business metropolis of the entire Southwest.
Baron Won Humboldt, the historian, said
Somewhere the border of Mexico and the United
States mighty city will spring into existence to become
the metropolis of all that region Ell Paso destined to
fulfill this wise prediction for she stands not only in the
natural gateway between the United States and Mexico
but controls WELL the lowest and best railroad pass
across the continental divide
Ell PASO TODAY
is the purpose of this article show the splendid
record made by FL Paso during the past years. only
through the remarkable development of the Rio Grande
Valley lands, but along industrial financial and
cia lines we'll These facts and figures show trace
of the socaed western boom town. but rather of sturdy
healthy growth that bespeaks solid foundation and
duces its future prospects to material certanties.
FL Paso occupies peculiar place among Americas
great cities for you may travel distance of 1900
from west like distance from north to south
without reaching city that approaches FL Paso either
in population commercial Importance. This does not
journey through almost endless stretch Of
desert but of welstocked ranches rich mining districts
and OF the greatest farming countries the world
1t trade from the people living in this
great who to FL Paso for their supplies and
machinery, while the miners ship their to FL Pasos
great smelters
The invasion of this vicinity by experienced ranchmen
and farmers and the growth of the small towns situated
III lower New Mexico, Arizona and Western Texas during
the past five years is considered remarkable
From population of only 600 in 1896, Ell Paso
has grown to substantial city Of nearly fifty thousand
while her property valuation during the period has
climbed from 100000 to $60000000. Her postofce
receipts from $4,000 per to $108,079.08
BUILDING RECORD
Since the first of January, 1909 there has been ex
pended $15O0O00 buildings and this sum does not
include many costly residences erected in the OUTLYING dis
trcts, of which outside of the city limits AS
many ftysix building permits were issued in single
month alone and called for total investment of $2456
Among the more notable buildings erected during the
wear under erection