El Paso Lower Valley Missions/ Cordova Island/ The City and Coun
El Paso Lower Valley Missions
Ysleta Mission -- 1681. Ysleta, the oldest community in Texas, claims the most steadily cultivated plot of land in the U.S.
Socorro Mission -- 1682. Regarded as the oldest active parish church in the U.S. Has a unique burying ground and descansas.
San Elizario -- where domestic animals were first introduced and military garrison established in the now continental U.S. by Don Juan de Onate in 1598. The presidio chapel was founded in 1777 and El Paso's first courthouse in 1850 and the first county jail west of San Antonio, where Billy the Kid was once confined. Here is reportedly the oldest building in Texas, the once vice-regal palace and seat of Spanish government. The Salt War monument marks a short and bloody civil conflict.
Cordova Island
This most unique parcel of land on either U.S. Border is a part of Mexico, though lying north of the Rio Grande. This area of 385 acres was once a smugglers haven. In 1899, starting at the Peyton Pacing Co. plant, a channel was dug eastward across the heel of the horseshoe – shaped Cordova Bend to relieve flooding, leaving the easily discernible original riverbed as the boundary.
The City and County of El Paso
El Paso, formerly known as Magoffinsville and Franklin, was incorporated as a city in 1873. There are 117 square miles and 670 miles of paved streets within the city. El Paso County was established in 1850, covers 847 square miles and has 300 miles of highway, exclusive of the city. The 1960 city population was 276,687 with city – county total of 314,070. El Paso and Juarez are the largest cities of the U.S. Mexican border, with 1960 combined population of 571,390.
Marker is on Scenic Drive, on the right when traveling east.
Courtesy hmdb.org
