- published: 16 Jul 2012
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El Paso /ɛlˈpæsoʊ/ is the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. According to the 2010 census the city's population is 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States. Its metropolitan area covers all of El Paso County, whose population in 2010 was 800,647.
El Paso stands on the Rio Grande (Río Bravo del Norte), across the border from Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico. The two cities form a combined international metropolitan area, sometimes called El Paso–Juárez, with Juárez being the significantly larger of the two in population. They have a combined population of two million, two-thirds of which reside in Juárez. In 2010 El Paso was awarded an All-America City Award, the oldest community-recognition program in the United States.
El Paso is home to the University of Texas at El Paso (founded in 1914 as The Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy, and later, Texas Western College; its current name dates from 1967) and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso. Fort Bliss, one of the largest military complexes of the United States Army, lies to the east and northeast of the city, with training areas extending north into New Mexico, up to the White Sands Missile Range and neighboring Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo. El Paso is the first large city in the world to have a spaceport in the vicinity. Spaceport America, which lies 90 miles from El Paso, has seen the completion of several successful manned, suborbital flights. The Franklin Mountains extend into El Paso from the north and nearly divide the city into two sections; the western half forms the beginnings of the Mesilla Valley, and the eastern slopes connect in the central business district at the south end of the mountain range.
Downtown El Paso is the central business district of El Paso, Texas.
Dr. James Day, an El Paso historian, said that Downtown's main business area was originally centered between Second Street and San Francisco Street. At a later point the main business area was centered around Stanton Street and Santa Fe. In the late 1800s most of the White American residents lived to the north of the non-White areas, living in brick residences along Magoffin, Myrtle, and San Antonio streets. Hispanic American residents lived in an area called "Chihuahuita" ("little Chihuahua"), which was located south of Santa Fe and west of Second. Several African Americans and around 300 Chinese Americans also lived in Chihuahuita. Many of the Chinese Americans built railroads in the El Paso area.
The Texas Eighth Court of Appeals is located in Downtown El Paso.
El Paso Independent School District provides educational services.
El Paso Public Library operates the Main Library in Downtown El Paso.
The Consulate-General of Mexico in El Paso is located in downtown.
(Marty Robbins)
Out in the West Texas town of El Paso
I fell in love with a Mexican girl
Nighttime would find me in Rosa's Cantina
Music would play and Felina would whirl
Blacker than night where the eyes of Felina
Wicked and evil while casting a spell
My love was strong for this Mexican maiden
I was in love, but in vain I could tell
One night a wild young cowboy came in
Wild as the West Texas wind
Dashing and daring, a drink he was sharing
With wicked Felina, the girl that I loved
So in anger I challenged his right for the love of this maiden
Down went his hand for the gun that he wore
My challenge was answered, in less than a heartbeat
The handsome young stranger lay dead on the floor
Just for a moment I stood there in silence
Shocked by the foul evil deed I had done
Many thoughts ran through my mind as I stood there
I had but one chance and that was to run
Out through the back door of Rose's I ran
Out where the horses were tied
I caught a good one, it looked like it could run
Up on his back and away I did ride
Just as fast as I could from the West Texas town of El Paso
Out thru the badlands of New Mexico
Back in El Paso, my life would be worthless
Everything's gone in life nothing is left
It's been so long since I've seen the young maiden
My love is stronger than my fear of death
I saddled up and away I did go
Riding alone in the dark
Maybe tomorrow a bullet may find me
Tonight nothing's worse than this pain in my heart
And at last here I am on the hill overlooking El Paso
I can see Rose's Cantina below
My love is strong and it pushes me onward
Down off the hill to Felina I go
Off to my right I see five mounted cowboys
Off to my left ride a dozen or more
shouting and shooting, I can't let them catch me
I've got to make it to Rose's back door
Something is dreadfully wrong for, I feel
A deep burning pain in my side
Something is dreadfully wrong, for I feel
A deep burning pain in my side
Although I am trying to stay in the saddle
I'm getting weary, unable to ride
It's getting harder to stay in the saddle
I'm getting weary, unable to ride
But my love for Felina is strong and I rise where I've fallen
Though I am weary, I can't stop to rest
I see the white puff of smoke from the rifle
I feel the bullet go deep in my chest
From out of nowhere, Felina has found me
Kissing my cheek as she kneels by my side
Cradled by two loving arms that I'll die for