El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-01-27
Many Famous Houses That Served Ell Paso In Early Days;
Places Wherein History Was Made In the Little Vii
Iage Of Mudhuts That Was Destined To Become
Metropolis Of the Great Southwest Region

! that portion of Mesa avenue between
Mills and San AntOhio streets was a
quiet street. Back and south of the old
rays home was an adobe occupied IN
the early eighties by the carpenter
shop and planning mill of Buchanan &
Powers, and later by O'ROurke's black
smith shop, about where Kress's store
and the Morgan building are.
South Of this extending to the north
west corner Of Texas and Mesa avenue
was an old adobe one story building
covering the present site of the
Buckler building. owned IN those days
by G. n. Marshall, and later occupied
by Z. B. Welch's furniture store
Across the street east from Buchanan
& POWers's was the old ST. Clements
Episcopal church, erected in the winter
Of 1882, on the present site of Ma
tons s market. South of the church
was a double brick cottage erected in
1882 and occupied as a residence by
Mrs Catharine Davis and her son, l. H.
Davis on the present site of the Stevens
building occupied by the R. C..lLight
body Co, and others.
South and across Texas street was
a vacant lot. on the present site Of
the Van BlarcOm building and south
Of this on the northeast corner Of San
Antonio and Mesa was the old adobe
lodge room Of the Masonic fraternity,
on which is the present Masonic Temple
building, erected in 1893. On the
northeast part Of the same block was
the NJ. E church, South, erected in
1888, to the west Of which was the
residence of r. NJ McKie. then owner
of the FL Paso Herald, erected in 1888
To the south Of the church was the
residence Of Mrs. J D. Porter, erected
in 1882. These were on the present
site of the Austin-Marr building.
East of this point there were no
buildings except the adobe house OF
J. c. NOss on Texas street on the
locality now occupied by the FL PasO
theater. In those days there were no
business houses nor stores on Mesa
avenue, Texas nor Stanton streets
Residence Boom on North side.
The first habitatiOn built north Of
the Southern Pacific track, was built
by Alex Tays in July 1881 on the south
east corner Of Stanton and Wyoming
streets. 1t was a double rOOmed, one
story adobe house covered with an
iron roof, Tays had lot Of goats
and was the first to sell milk. the
original FL PasO dairy man. His little
daughter used TO deliver Ii TO pioneer
families. This historic old house still
stands there. mute witness to the
marvellous Improvements since made
The second residence built in that
section was that of T. Krause, the
architect, who built ii in the fall Of
1881 and still resides in it.
It was considered a palatial residence
in those days and is still a fine build
ing Mr.. Krause, by the way is
president of the Pioneer association. He
paid $50 apiece for the three lots
which at that time was considered
high price. Indeed a little farther out
where the Hotel Dieu now is. land
could be bought for 800 an acre where
now % foot lots are valued at several
thousand dollars each.
North Mesa Avenue.
In 1923 a big residential building
boom started in the district north OF