El Paso Smart

Author: El Chupacabras

  • Franklin Mountains State Park: El Paso’s Desert Sanctuary

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    In the heart of El Paso, where urban life meets the rugged frontier, the Franklin Mountains rise like silent sentinels, keeping watch over the city’s bustling streets. Stretching over 27,000 acres, Franklin Mountains State Park offers a slice of wild, untamed beauty just minutes from downtown. It’s not just a park; it’s a sprawling desert…

    Franklin Mountains State Park
  • Fort Bliss: A Historic Pillar of El Paso, TX

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    Fort Bliss, located in El Paso, Texas, stands as a vital cornerstone of American military history and a significant hub in the region. As one of the largest and oldest military installations in the United States, Fort Bliss offers a rich narrative shaped by decades of defense, innovation, and community ties. The Origins of Fort…

    Fort Bliss
  • Discovering Downtown El Paso: Where History Meets the Horizon

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    Downtown El Paso isn’t just a cluster of buildings and bustling streets — it’s a storybook where each corner whispers the tales of a bygone era. This district, steeped in rich history and culture, invites us to wander through time while staying firmly rooted in the present. The journey begins with San Jacinto Plaza, the…

  • The Intricate History of El Paso Street Gangs: Beyond the Headlines

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    El Paso, Texas, nestled along the U.S.-Mexico border, carries a rich and layered history. While celebrated for its cultural vibrancy and geographic significance, the city has also contended with the realities of street gangs, shaped by unique local and cross-border factors. To understand this dynamic, it is essential to delve deeper into their roots, activities,…

    Magoffin compadre
  • El Paso, TX: Prehistory and Main Archaeological Sites

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    El Paso, Texas, has a rich and fascinating prehistory shaped by its location at a crossroads of ecosystems and cultures, making it a prime area for human activity for millennia. Evidence suggests that humans have lived in this region for at least 12,000 years, with the earliest inhabitants belonging to Paleo-Indian groups who relied on…

    El Paso, TX: Prehistory and Main Archaeological Sites
  • Ten El Paso iconic places

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    Here’s a creatively crafted list of ten iconic places in El Paso, TX, blending vivid descriptions with a local charm that celebrates the city:

    El Paso landmarks
  • John Wesley Hardin

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    John Wesley Hardin—a name that echoes through the dusty streets of the Old West, evoking equal measures of awe, admiration, and disdain from those who heard tales of his exploits. Born in 1853 in Bonham, Texas, Hardin grew up in a world where the law was often as fickle as the Texas weather and where…

    caricature of John Wesley Hardin with gun
  • The first Thanksgiving

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    As an El Paso native, few events stir up more local pride than remembering our first Thanksgiving—a gathering etched deep in the heritage of San Elizario, Texas, long before the famed Pilgrim meal up north. In 1598, over two decades before the Mayflower even set sail, Juan de Oñate and his expedition traversed scorching deserts…

    The first Thanksgiving in San Elizario, Texas
  • Introduction to El Paso

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    Explore El Paso’s rich history, from ancient indigenous roots and Spanish colonization to its vibrant modern culture—a dynamic crossroads of tradition and innovation.

    El Paso History