BHC Photo Mondays

Hi All! 

Every Monday the Border Heritage Center will post 2 photos from our collections seeking assistance in identifying the individuals, buildings, places, businesses, and/or events on the El Paso Public Library's Facebook page. 

We hope you check us out on https://www.facebook.com/ELPASOPUBLICLIBRARY/ and if you have any information to contribute, please contact BHC at LibBorder@elpasotexas.gov. Thank you!

Mandy's Hunt for History - Golfing Mandy

Mandy ran across a fun snippet of history the other day, it was about miniature golf in El Paso. Who doesn't enjoy a game of miniature golf? The fun, bright themed courses, the challenge to not only beat your competitor but the course as well, Mandy wanted to know more!

On May 23, 1930 it was reported in the El Paso Evening Post that the business of miniature golf was booming. Since January of that year, 7 privately owned courses had been built in the city. Which was the first course built Mandy wondered. Mandy decided in order to find out she needed to do some research.

Mandy discovered the following 1929 article in the El Paso Evening Post.

El Paso Evening Post, October 18, 1929, pg. 23, captured May 20, 2020 from microfilm

Turns out a miniature golf course was built at Washington Park in the fall of 1929 by J. E. Brown. He named his course Pas-O-Link and included all the fun and challenging obstacles a regular golf course would, including bridges, streams, and sand bunkers. Mr. Brown wanted the public to be able to play at night as well, so the course was being wired for lighting. The article was brief and included no photos. Oh, what did it look like Mandy wondered...

If Pas-O-Link miniature golf course looked like Mandy imagined it would be so much fun to play on she thought. Mandy continued to scroll through the microfilm and ran across the following ad the next day.

El Paso Evening Post, October 19, 2020, pg. 16, captured May 20, 2020 from microfilm.

The photo in the ad is not the best but at least we get an idea as to what the entrance looked like. Seems like there was plenty of shade with all those trees!

Mandy discovered in other ads that it was only 25 cents to play at Pas-O-Link Golf Course - what a bargain!

Who's up for a game of golf? Mandy's got next! 

Mandy's Hunt for History - Revisiting Halley's Comet in 1910

A century ago El Pasoans witnessed an extraordinary event - Halley's Comet! 

Halley's Comet, also known as Comet Halley, is a short period comet whose orbit around the sun averages about 75 years to complete (Halley's orbit periods have been recorded to be as short as 74 years and as long as 79 years). Which means that every 75 years or so, Halley's Comet returns and is visible to us on Earth. Halley's Comet is named after English astronomer, Edmond Halley. He proposed comets could repeat orbits and not just have a single trip across the solar system as was previously believed. He proposed the comets sighted in 1531, 1607, and 1682 were in fact one, single comet repeating its orbit. Based on his research, he calculated the comet's next appearance would be in 1758-1759. He was correct! The comet reappeared in Earth's vicinity in 1758 and was named in honor of Halley in 1759.   

Since 1758, Halley's Comet has orbited the sun three additional times, in 1835, 1910, and 1986. Scientists and astronomers have been following Comet Halley for centuries but it wasn't until 1910 that they were able to do much more than observe it, they were able to photograph it! That's right, Comet Halley was photographed for the first time in 1910. Check out the photo of Halley's Comet in El Paso below!

Photo Courtesy of the El Paso Public Libray, Border Heritage Center's Picture File Collection

Mandy decided she needed to see Halley's Comet for herself and set out to revisit the early morning hours of May 16, 1910 in El Paso. Can you spot Mandy in the photo? 

Halley's Comet was most visible in the El Paso sky in the months of April and May of 1910. According to news reports, Halley's Comet was best seen in the El Paso sky in the early morning, at about 4:00 a.m. Mandy was wondering why the street was so empty! The news brief below notes Mr. Henry Cappell first saw Halley's Comet in El Paso on April 20, 1910.

El Paso Herald, April 20, 1910, front page, captured May 13, 2020 from microfilm

Tomorrow, May 16, 2020, is the 110 year anniversary of when the photo was taken. The back of the photo provides us with some important information - how the library came to have the photo. Mandy realized an interesting coincidence as well!

Photo courtesy of the El Paso Public Library, Border Heritage Center's Picture File Collection

Halley's Comet is set to return to Earth's vicinity in 2061, 41 years from now. Mandy can't wait to share the experience with you all then!

 

Mandy's Hunt for History - Handy Mandy

Handy Mandy

Give Mandy a hand as she explores one of the downtown construction sites in 1918. What do you think is being built? Can you find all of the eight places where she went? To access the original image click here.

For more of Mandy's adventures visit Mandy's Hunt for History Page Friday afternoons.

Is Cinco de Mayo Mexico's Independence Day?

Often mistaken as Mexico's Independence Day, Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is not Mexico's Independence Day. Mexico's independence was declared on September 16, 1810, 52 years earlier than May 5, 1862, the date the Cinco de Mayo holiday is commemorating. 

Cinco de Mayo celebrates the defeat of the French army by the Mexican army at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Led by General Ignacio Zaragoza, between 2,000-5,000 Mexican troops stood firm against France's 6,000. The battle was fought throughout the day and came to an end when French General Charles de Lorencez retreated his army. It is estimated fewer than 100 Mexcian soldiers were lost in the battle to the nearly 500 French soldiers. Although Mexico's war with France continued for five more years, ultimately ending in 1867, the Battle of Puebla was a great moral victory for Mexico and re-energized the country in its ongoing violent affair with France.

So how did a smaller, less experienced Mexican army defeat the French? Perhaps the map below can shed some light. The map is of the city of Puebla and its surroundings and depicts the locations of both Mexican and French troops during the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

To learn more about the map and view the map's record in its entirety on the Portal to Texas History, click here.

Mandy's Hunt for History - Poppies in Bloom

Poppies in Bloom

Mandy found herself lost again. This time she is in the beautiful blooms of the Transmountain poppy fields. Help her find the way out of this maze, so she can continue her explorations.

For more information on the poppies, check out this article by the El Paso Times. 

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Happy May Day!

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Mandy's Hunt for History - Star Search

Star Search

As Mandy trekked across the Franklin Mountain, the sun began to fade behind the mountain leaving Mandy stranded in the dark. Help Mandy reach the Star on the mountain, so she can find her way home again.

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Earth Day 2020

Happy Earth Day

Border Heritage Center wishes you well on this Earth Day and would like to share digital resources with you on plants of El Paso and the Southwest.

Chamizal - https://www.nps.gov/cham/index.htm

Franklin Mountains State Park - https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/franklin-mountains/nature

Keystone Heritage Park - https://keystoneheritagepark.com/

Rio Bosque Wetlands Park - https://www.utep.edu/cerm/rio-bosque/education.html

UTEP's Chihuahuan Desert Gardens - https://www.utep.edu/centennial-museum/chihuahuan-desert-gardens/

Mandy's Hunt for History - Downtown St. Louis Street

Mandy has traveled back in time to early 20th century downtown El Paso to see what downtown looked like before 1910! Mandy is exploring St. Louis Street, what is Mills Street today. Can you spot Mandy in the photo?

She dropped by right in the middle of a busy day. People are walking about, possibly heading to work, to shop, or to handle important business. Horse carriages are spotted along the street and there's even a street car making its way down St. Louis Street! If you think about Mills Street today and look at this photo, what jumps out at you that is different?

                              Photo Credit: Border Heritage Center, El Paso Public Library, Otis A. Aultman Collection, Retrieved from: http://www.digie.org/media/58911 

Were you able to find Mandy? You can spot her in 3 different locations.

If you're having a little trouble, here's some clues:

1. Mandy is looking both ways before crossing the street from San Jacinto Plaza.
2. Mandy decided to mail herself a postcard for fun to remember her trip, you can find her on the top of the building that once had the U.S Post Office inside. Pssst...the Federal Building.
3. Mandy can last be seen taking in the view of downtown El Paso from the top of the hotel that was destroyed by fire in 1929. Interestingly, this same building is where the El Paso Public Library began back in 1894 as a reading club for boys! If you're thinking of the Hotel Sheldon/Sheldon Building, you're correct!

There's so much to see and talk about in this photo! Have a question or a comment? Let Mandy and us know below!

Mandy's Hunt for History - The Canyon

Follow Mandy the Mule on her trek through history. 

Mandy appears eight times in the image.

For more information on the photograph and to access the original image, click here.