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In December of 1882 the first route of the El Paso streetcar system
began. It is said that it was the only international car line in
operation in the world at the time. (May 11, 1986, pg. 107, El Paso Times)
In about 1890 the street car service of El Paso consisted of one car, one
driver, and one mule, Mandy. Mandy was the mule who pulled a trolley car
across an international bridge into Juárez. As time went on, the name
Mandy extended to all the trolley mules. By 1899 the El Paso street car
system had four or five mules and carts.
Mandy was a veteran of the San Antonio street car system and was known more
for her stubborn streak than her timeliness, "Mandy had a reputation of being
able to walk slower than retributive justice after a wealthy criminal, and
could trot slower than any other mule could walk." (February 18, 1905, pg. 14,
El Paso Herald)
She was the town pet and loved by all.
There is a story that, after the procession, Mandy was escorted from the car
and put into position alongside one of the new street cars and she, ". . .
turned so as to present her heels to the enemy, and proceeded to do her best
to kick that modern improvement into smithereens." It was the first time
that Mandy was known to kick in all of her El Paso life.
The day after the streetcar celebration Mandy was sent to an irrigated
pasture, with grass and alfalfa that was knee high, to end her days in
peace. She died a few days later, it is said she died of grief and a
broken heart from no longer being surrounded by her loved people of El
Paso. She was not more than 50 or 60 years old.
According to an El Paso Herald article (February 18, 1905, pg. 14, El Paso
Herald):
"There is a road leading out of El Paso to the southward. It is a good road and a much traveled road. It is the favorite road with El Pasoans when they go pleasure driving. One mile from town, beside this road, there is a grave, and at the head of this grave there is a stone, not a board, but a sizeable well squared block of granite, and on the face of that stone is deeply carved one word, and that word is, 'Mandy.'"
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| January 11, 1902, pg. 1, El Paso Herald |
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| February 18, 1905, pg. 14, El Paso Herald |
In 1955 a cast iron replica of Mandy, by Howard Hoffman (a former Irvin High
School teacher) and James Goodman, with a repaired and repainted No. 1 trolley
car with a plastic figure driver (Pedro) were put on display.
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| Border Heritage Center Vertical Files |
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| September 11, 1955, pg. 15, El Paso Times |
In 2006, Howard Hoffman, was honored for his 2100 pound cast iron Mandy. City
Council proclaimed April 11 as "Mr. Howard Hoffman Day." He was a former art
major at Texas Western College when he was commissioned by the Odd Fellows
Association in 1952 to build a statue to serve as a reminder of when El Paso
relied on mule-drawn trolleys.
Hoffman was in Arkansas and unable to travel to be at the council meeting but
he told of how it took them about two months to build the plastic model of
Mandy for the Grubbs Foundry. The work was done in the front of their home on
campus on Shuster Ave. They were paid $100 each.
What Hoffman had to sat about Mandy:
"Where is it? Is it in good shape? Where are they going to put it? I wish I could get to (El Paso) to see it, but I don't think I'll be able to. I don't remember much, but I remember that mule. Is it being taken care of?"
What Prince McKenzie, vice president (in 2006) of Exhibits and Programs at the
El Paso Railroad & Transportation Museum had to say about Mandy:
"The mule represents the end of the animal-drawn transportation era in El Paso to mechanical power. . . they could only work for two hours, so there were several, but Mandy became the town pet."
(April 8, 2006, pg. 15, El Paso Times)
1952-1969
San Jacinto Plaza
Cleveland Square, behind downtown library
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| Border Heritage Center Vertical Files |
1976
Sun Carnival Parade
Mandy left her glass enclosure at Cleveland Square to ride in the Sun Carnival parade. Mandy and El Paso's first international trolley car made up part of a float entitled 'Transition,' which was sponsored by the Airport and Mass Transit Board.
1981
Union Depot
Mandy and her cart were being refurbished.
1986
Back at Cleveland Square
1994
Mandy and her cart were being repaired.
2005
Sun Metro
The Main Library was being renovated so there were plans to display her at Union Depot by end of 2006, but she didn't fit through the door, so Mandy and her cart were moved to various Sun Metro storage locations until arriving at the Sun Metro Union Depot storage after the Sun Metro Explosion. She has stayed in storage for over 20 years.
2006
Mr. Howard Hoffman is officially recognized for building Mandy.
Mandy at Border Heritage
At the Border Heritage Center we have small Mandy Replica that was an
animatronic at the El Paso History Museum. At one point there was a fence that surrounded the El Paso History Museum that had Mandy's face embedded into it but that is no longer there.
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| From when Border Heritage was at Sergio Troncoso for the latest Main remodel. |
2025
Mandy at Sun Metro, Union Station Storage
Thankfully, we were able to track Mandy down with the help from Sun Metro staff. Thanks to Carlos and Paul from Sun Metro for allowing us to come and take some photos of her for our collection. 🙌
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| Carlos & Paul from Sun Metro 💖 |
Mandy and her cart have been in storage for around 20 years. Her harness and driver, Pedro, have been lost to time but other than that Mandy and her cart look really good. The doors and flaps of the trolley cart function with minimal resistance. Some photos are down below
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| "El Paso's original traction company was formed by two pioneer El Pasoans in 1882. They were Joseph Magoffin and Zack T. White. This car was their first piece of equipment. It ran between El Paso and Juarez, Mexico. The Mule's name was 'Mandy.' - El Paso Historical Society" |
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| "This mule car, the first transportation between El Paso and Juarez, was presented to the Historical Society September 15, 1955 by Jesse B. Binkley, it's construction in 1901, to be placed in San Jacinto Plaza for permanent care. - El Paso Historical Society" |
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| "Mandy" by El Paso Odd Fellows Lodge 284 2505 Montana St. |
There are no current plans to display Mandy, or her cart, but she represents an important part of El Paso's Transportation History.
💖⭐💖
It would be nice to have Mandy and her cart displayed once again, whether it be at Union Depot, the Main Library, or another downtown location. Mandy was so loved by the people of El Paso and, it is the belief of the person writing this post, that Mandy loved the people of El Paso.
Glad we found you Mandy.
💖⭐💖
To Learn More about Mandy and El Paso's Transportation History
El Paso Transportation Search through the El Paso Public Library Search:
SOME BOOKS at Border Heritage Center
History of transportation in the El Paso/Juarez area by Fred Morales
SW 388 M792H 2002
Streetcars at the Pass by Ron Dawson
R SW 388.42 D327S V.1
From mule car to motor bus : history of our Transportation Division by El
Paso Electric Company
R SW 385.1 EL6F
VERTICAL FILES at Border Heritage Center
MVF - Juarez - Transportation
MVF - Mexico - Transportation
SWVF - Transportation
EPVF - Rio Grande Valley Traction Co. (see also Transportation;
Electric Company)
EPVF - Transportation
EPVF - Transportation - El Paso City Lines
EPVF - Transportation - EP City Lines Rio Grande, Valley Traction
(See also EP Electric Co. )
EPVF - Electric Co. - History (1 of 2)
EPVF - Electric Co. - History (2 of 2)
LINKS
El Paso Times - Tales From the Morgue - 1939: Mandy Honored in New
Location
El Paso Inc. - Meet Mandy the Mule
Digie - Mandy the Mule
Cowgirl Cocktail
Sky Rise Cities
EPCC Library Research Guide - Borderlands: El Paso Trolley First to
Connect Two Nations (with 2017 update)
Sun Metro - El Paso Mass Transit History
El Paso Streetcar - Moving Forward - El Paso's Streetcar History
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