Borderlands: From the Director 24 (2005-2006)

First published in Vol.  24 (2005-2006)

By Ruth Vise

I began editing Borderlands 15 years ago, and here I am still delighting in classes of English 1302 students who research local history, who learn so much about where they live and whose learning is truly “hands on.”

This spring, the main downtown library was closed for construction, so much of the material we normally use was unavailable. That meant my students really had to be resourceful and persistent. Amazingly, I didn’t hear complaints. I heard students excitedly telling each other where certain sources could be found, who was especially helpful at particular libraries, how to get to the Historical Society , how “cool” the Special Collections were at UTEP. And they produced some excellent papers that always serve as the basis of our stories.

Stella Perry and Adri Alatorre surpassed my expectations in fulfilling their duties as editors. They traveled all over, interviewing people, looking for photographs and primary sources, and they discovered some gems, such as the Tularosa Historical Society. Thank you, Stella and Adri!

This year, we feature several stories that detail some of the movers and shakers in our area during the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Articles on Charles Kelly, William Burges and his brother Richard Burges detail the Progressive era as does the article on two of the “Big Five” madams in El Paso.

Other articles explore the loss of land and livelihood ranchers such as Bill McNew and John Prather experienced when the U. S. Army decided to expand White Sands Missile Range and McGregor Range. New Mexican Tom Charles fought for years to protect White Sands from commercial developers and make it into a national park. It is almost inconceivable to think that this gorgeous national playground might not exist had it not been for Charles.

Other stories take a look at people who are associated with Dripping Springs, a beautiful recreational area just out of Las Cruces, and Tom White , the first warden of La Tuna, a federal prison and local landmark. We also feature stories on R. E. Thomason and the hospital named for him and the White House Department Store.

One story has been on my mind for years. In 1993, a student researched a phenomenon called “Mexican Repatriation.” I had never heard about it, and I looked for sources that would document this 1930s deportation of Mexican immigrants and sometimes their children and others born in America. A few studies appeared in the mid 1970s and 1980s. Only recently, however, have scholars begun to document this event. A veil of silence still hangs over families with repatriados, most of whom are long dead. But younger generations have begun to ferret out the facts and the human stories. And so I thank Rosa Prieto, who first brought this topic to my attention.

For their support all these years, I heartily thank the El Paso Times for inserting our publication in a Sunday edition. I am also most grateful to my faculty editors who keep us on our toes and do so without remuneration. Thank you, Joe Old, Martha Lou Broaddus and Morgan Broaddus. Heartfelt thanks go to Head Librarian Monica Wong and her staff at Northwest Campus, who do everything possible to help us throughout the year. Monica also is responsible for putting Borderlands on the Web.

Thanks to April Lee, my grownup daughter, who began helping us edit this year. Whether you are a longtime reader or have just discovered Borderlands, my students and I hope you enjoy these stories.

     Image caption: Ruth Vise, Borderlands Director

First published in Vol.  24 (2005-2006)

By Stella Perry and Adri Alatorre

Image caption: 2005 Borderlands Staff Stella Perry, Editor; Sean Perry, Artist; Adrianna Alatorre, Assistant Editor. Not pictured: Ruth E. Vise, Project Director. Photo by Renate Perry

I have lived in El Paso for a decade. Prior to that time, I spent 10 years in Germany. Germany was rich with medieval history and tales of kings and queens, but the history we’ve uncovered and researched for Borderlands never ceases to amaze me. In my second year as a student editor, I have learned more local history by reading, editing and researching these articles than I have in the rest of the time I’ve lived here.

I never knew that consumer luxury existed here until I read about the White House Department Store with its lounge and tea rooms for the ladies. Even the ads I found on microfilm boasted elegance and style. This issue is also full of excitement and intrigue! We follow a link in history that is politically and socially relevant today.  Gambling and prostitution were considered a boon to the growing city of El Paso in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Issues such as water facilities and Sunday or “blue” laws were also dividing factors among El Pasoans. The tension in the city was so extreme that factions drew hard lines in the sand and threatened each other.

From the Franklin Mountains to the Organ Mountains, we ventured to check out a student story on Dripping Springs in Las Cruces. It’s the tale of a hermit, a colonel and a doctor. I had the pleasure of hiking to the site where there was once a gushing spring and an unsolved mystery. 

I would like to thank Ms. Vise once again for this opportunity. My sincere gratitude is also extended to Israel Jacquez, Executive Assistant at the La Tuna Federal Correctional Institution. Thank you for the interview and the tour of the facility and the museum.

Stella Perry, Editor

I would first like to thank Ruth Vise for her advice, direction, and patience especially on the Repatriation story. She encouraged me to push myself and find the missing pieces and put together the puzzle. Her unending curiosity is inspirational; it is the driving force behind this project. I would like to thank my boyfriend and traveling partner Carlton Pate for making the trips to Tularosa fun and exciting. On that note, I send a big thanks to the Tularosa Basin Historical Society and its gracious staff. What a hidden treasure I found in the middle of the Tularosa Basin! My sincerest thanks and appreciation go out to Bill McNew III and his wife Vergie from Alamogordo . You made it real for me.

I send a huge thank you to Claudia Rivers and Anne Alice, along with the entire Special Collections staff at the UTEP library for all their help. Al señor David Pérez López le mando muchas gracias por las fotos y los commentarios sobre el tema de los Mexicanos repatriados. Para mí ese tema esta muy cercano a mi corazón. I would like to thank the staff at the El Paso Historical Society, especially Lynn Russell and Pat Worthington for their diligent efforts.

Thanks go to Margaret Althoff-Olivas of Thomason Hospital who graciously took the time from her busy schedule to meet with me. The information package was great! Stella, you are a talented and directed individual who made my job easier – thanks. I am grateful also to Henry Quintana, Jr. for his courtesy and help. My experience on this paper has been one of my most memorable, and I look forward to next year.

Adri Alatorre, Assistant Editor