Borderland Heritage History: Humberto Silex

 

Humberto Silex, Sr. Transcript

Hello! This is Susan Barnum with Borderland Heritage History brought to you by the El Paso Public Library.

In this episode, we’re getting organized and heading back to the middle of the twentieth century on the border. Here we’ll see a labor union form which led to El Paso’s own Red Scare.

Humberto Silex, Sr. Was born on January 15, 1903 in Managua, Nicaragua. He came to the United States in 1920 and went on to serve in the US Army for six months. Afterwards, Humberto moved around the United States as a journeyman laborer where he was able to make as much as $6 a day.

In 1931, he moved to El Paso, hoping to find a place he could settle down. He married Maria de Jesus Renteria and the couple would have seven children together.

Work was not great in El Paso. Humberto began to work at the ASARCO smelter where there was no vacation, no sick-leave and workers only made $1.75 a day. Mexican-American workers were denied promotions in favor of Anglo workers doing the same jobs.

In 1938, a Mill, Mine, and Smelter Workers Union representative heard Humberto talk about the work conditions at ASARCO. Three months later, a union organizer came to El Paso and helped Humberto and fellow employee, Cefarino Anchondo, form Local 509. Eventually, this union would have more than 1,500 members from ASARCO, the Phelps Dodge Copper Refinery and other businesses. Humberto helped negotiate better pay through Local 509 for the employees of the El Paso Brick Company in 1941. In 1944, union members at ASARCO received a wage increase. When ASARCO and Phelps Dodge Refinery planned a strike in 1946 to demand better wages, Humberto represented Local 509.

Despite these gains, trouble was lurking on the horizon. In 1939, Chris Fox, the El Paso County Sheriff, started to secretly investigate citizens of El Paso he suspected of communist activities. Six men were arrested. Members of the Bakers Union were targeted and later so were members of the Mine Mill Union. The Catholic Clergy in El Paso, including Bishop Sidney Metzger, also participated in union-busting, and threatened to excommunicate church members if they joined unions. In 1940, Humberto, and Cefarino were fired by ASARCO and both men were blackballed. Even though Humberto was reinstated at ASARCO after a court case, he was fired again in 1945 for his union activities. When Humberto visited the plant three days later after his second firing, he got into a fight with his former boss and was charged with aggravated assault.

This assault charge threatened Humberto’s chances to become a naturalized American citizen. His application for citizenship was denied in 1947 based on a judge’s decision that Humberto lacked “good moral character,” and citing the fight. The decision was reversed by an appeals court, but in 1949 the United States government reopened the case and decided to charge Humberto with suspected Communist activity. During the new case, Humberto testified that he had not associated with Communists nor had he had given speeches in favor of communism to the Mine Mill union, Local 509. The U.S. government won the case and he was denied citizenship again in December of 1949. He did not appeal the case and was investigated again for possible deportation in 1957.

Despite these setbacks. Humberto managed to stay in El Paso. He continued to support the union and eventually became an American Citizen in 1991. He died on March 14, 2002 at age 99 and was buried an in the Fort Bliss National Cemetery.

I found out about Humberto Silex, Sr. From the Nathalie Gross Archives in the Border Heritage Center. In the archive, there are many original documents from El Paso’s labor union history. To find out more for yourself, call 915-212-3218 for more information.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 812

 

This year, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 812 had their 100th anniversary. The first temporary commander in 1921 was John R. Donoghue. The post, located in McKelligon Canyon, was named after two soldiers who died during World War I, Thomas Hart Davis and Rives Seamon.

Lieutenant Thomas Hart Davis was killed in action on July 21, 1918 in Germany. He was the son of retired General Thomas F. Davis. He was an El Paso native and his body was brought back to El Paso for burial in 1921. Davis was part of Battery F 12th Field Artillery. His death occurred "when the Americans were checking the Germans' final drive on Paris."

Lieutenant Rives Seamon was killed in the battle of Chaudron farm on September 29, 1918. Seamon was leader of a platoon in the 138th infantry. During the battle, they were to bush the combat patrol to the front of the objective. The platoon faced heavy artillery fire. While attacking a machine-gun nest, he was "killed by a high explosive shell." His body was not recovered. 

The image above is from the El Paso Herald on February 25, 1922.

Sources:

"Foreign War Veteran Name Post 'Davis -Seamon.'" (August 9, 1921) El Paso Herald. 

"Lieut. Thomas H. Davis." (May 21, 1921) El Paso Herald.

"Tribute to Lieut. Seamon." (July 1, 1919) El Paso Herald.

All About the American Furniture Company Building

 

American Furniture Building

AKA: First National Bank, Chemical Bank & Trust Company

Location: 109-117 East San Antonio at Oregon, El Paso, TX

Address 105 N Oregon Street (https://goo.gl/maps/MAoWMXJDyS994HyQ9)

Materials: reinforced concrete, yellow press bricks and yellow terra cotta. Seven stories

The building was designed by Henry C. Trost of Trost & Trost in August 1909. The building’s exterior was finished by December of 1910. The First National Bank Building was combined with the American National Bank building in 1913. Trost & Trost remodeled the building in 1925 and in 1943.  

The American Furniture Company purchased the building in 1944. The building was upgraded to a more modern style that covers part of the original design in August of 1949. The interior was also renovated during this time. The building was acquired by William “Billy” Abraham who planned to keep retail shops open on the ground floor, but redesign the upper stories for live-work artist spaces.

In 2010, the El Paso Building and Standards Commission issued civil penalties against the Caples Land Company, owned by Abraham, in order to address issues with the building and bring it up to code. Abraham appealed the civil penalty. The 2010 ruling was upheld in 2016. As of 2018, there is interest in turning the building into a hotel based on the Wyndham chain.

Original Trost & Trost architectural drawings are available at the Border Heritage Center.

Works Cited

“105 N Oregon.” (2010). Building and Standards Board. Retrieved from http://legacy.elpasotexas.gov/muni_clerk/_documents/DSD_archived_meeting_attachments/bsc0224101730/105%20Oregon%20Backup%20for%20WEB.pdf

“City: ‘Final Judgment’ Against Owner of American Furniture Building Underway.” (November 2, 2017) El Paso Herald Post. Retrieved from https://elpasoheraldpost.com/final-judgement-american-furniture-building

“Downtown El Paso Historic District.” (n.d.) United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved from https://www.thc.texas.gov/public/upload/preserve/national_register/draft_nominations/El-Paso%2C%20Downtown%20EP%20HD%20SBR%20Draft.pdf

Englebrecht, Lloyd C. and June F. Engelbrecht. (1990) “First National Bank.” Henry C. Trost Historical Organization. Retrieved from https://www.henrytrost.org/buildings/first-national-bank-el-paso

Marin, Daniel. (May 21, 2018). “Hotel Proposed for Old American Furniture Building Downtown.” KTSM.com. Retrieved from https://www.ktsm.com/local/el-paso-news/hotel-proposed-for-old-american-furniture-building-downtown

Mrkvicka, Mike. (March 25, 2001)  “Starting With the Plaza.” El Paso Times. Retrieved from https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77087293 and https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77087425

“New American Furniture Co. Opening to Culminate Years of Planning.” (August 31, 1949) El Paso Times. Retrieved from https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77086605

Borderland Heritage History: C. B. Ruggles

 

C.B. Ruggles transcript

Hello! This is Susan Barnum with Borderland Heritage History brought to you by the El Paso Public Library.

In today’s episode, we’re traveling back to the Wild West, discovering a lost mine, some legendary borderland beasts and finding love in Anchorage Alaska.

C. B. Ruggles was born on April 22, 1880 and was named C.B. because he was born on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy train on the way west. C.B. was raised in Oregon where he learned to be a good cowboy and was friendly with members of the Modoc Nation.

At some point, the family moved to Kansas. In 1900, he married Jane McVey in Stafford Kansas. They had a few children, one of whom died as an infant.

The family moved to New Mexico where C.B. worked for the Cliff Cities Pack Outfitters. He also hunted coyotes, roped mountain lions and broke horses. C.B. lived in New Mexico for 15 years, and must have heard the legend of the lost Tayopa mine during that time. The mine was reputed to hold vast wealth and any prospector who could find it would certainly be quite wealthy.

In 1921, he traveled to El Paso, Texas and then further south into Chihuahua, Mexico in order to do some prospecting. For six years, he prospected and searched for the Lost Tayopa Mine. He had considerable medical knowledge that he’d learned from his father and used it to treat miners and Native Americans in the area who called him “El Doctor.”

He met folklorist and writer, J. Frank Dobie in 1928 and told him about where he believed the lost Tayopa mine was located. Dobie would eventually write about the mines in his book, Apache Gold and Yaqui Silver originally published in 1939. Not only did C.B. believe that he had found the location of the Tayopa Mines, which he claimed in the El Paso Times in 1928, but one year before, he claimed to have trapped a legendary ounce. The ounce is a cryptozoological creature that has never been positively identified, yet legends abound regarding its existence.

Whether the ounce was real or just a strange variant of a cougar, C.B. was determined to hunt new game. He moved to Alaska in the summer of 1928 where he planned to hunt Kodiak Bears. C.B. met his second wife, Etta, in Anchorage. Etta was also a hunter and trapper and drove her own dog sled.

Henrietta or Etta was born in Sweden in 1897 and emigrated to Salt Lake City with a group of Mormons at age 17. She married C.B. in 1929 and the couple lived together in Alaska, hunting and trapping. Later, C.B. would write about surviving as a hunter in Alaska for the Saturday Evening Post. Etta Ruggles also talked about their Alaska experiences to women’s clubs.

C.B. and Etta moved to Arivaca, Arizona in the 1930s where they lived on a mining claim north of the city.  They were still living in the area in the early 1950s where they were active in the community.

Open by Appointment!

Great News! Border Heritage is now open by appointment for research! In need of reviewing vertical files on local topics, interested in searching through old city directories, or accessing local newspapers on microfilm? Give us a call at 915.212.3218 or email us at LibBorder@elpasotexas.gov to schedule a research appointment.

Appointments are available Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 10:00 - 6:00, with a maximum 2 hour research block. Don't hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have.

We are so looking forward to seeing you!

 

El Paso Women's History Coloring Book, volume II

In celebration of Women's History Month, free bilingual coloring books featuring El Paso women will be available at all El Paso Public Library curbside locations throughout the month of March! Available upon request and while supplies last. The C.L. Sonnichsen Special Collections Department of the University of Texas at El Paso Library generously provided these. Learn about the wonderful achievements, pivotal roles, and contributions so many El Paso women have made. Drive on up to your nearest curbside location and request yours today! Visit www.elpasolibrary.org for curbside locations and hours.

The Border Heritage Center Returns!!

Please forgive us for laying dormant for so long. While the El Paso Public Library continues to be closed to in-person services due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Border Heritage Center is happy to announce we've resumed remote reference, research, and digital reproduction services! Need assistance or have a question about our collections or services? Give us a call or send in an email, we're ready and happy to assist!