Overview

With an economy largely driven by Ft. Bliss and its associated enterprises, you might think El Paso would be little more than an army town. Not so! The area is rich in history and culture, making it a wonderful destination for those with a passion for the past. The oldest active missions in the US are in El Paso � the Ysleta, Socorro, and San Elizario Missions comprise the "Mission Trail," a trio of Spanish-built churches dating from the 1600s. The city "officially" became a border town in 1848, when the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo established the Rio Grande as the division between Mexico and the US. But because the Rio Grande changed its course so significantly, border disputes continued well into the 1960s. Today, you'll find a population that's largely bilingual, and despite the fact that it is an American city, El Paso is culturally similar to its sister city to the south, Ciudad Juarez. The two cities comprise the largest bi-national border community in the world. The unique culture of El Paso shines brightest during holidays like Thanksgiving, celebrated in late April in honor of the day in which colonists led by Spaniard Don Juan de O�ate reached the Rio Grande and held a great feast.

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