Perhaps the epitome of the “Wild West” with numerous saloons, brothels, and gambling houses, El Paso was known as “Six Shooter Capital” and “Sin City” during its early years. The arrival of the railroads in 1881 had the biggest impact on El Paso in terms of transforming the dusty village to a bustling frontier town. By 1900, vice and lawlessness started to wane as El Paso evolved into a modern metropolis with significant industry, commerce, and transportation. The 1912 Fort Worth–El Paso Highway, designated part of the Bankhead Highway six years later, boosted the economy with an influx of business and tourists. El Paso stories, old and new, can be found not only in its many museums, but also just driving the streets of the city. The El Paso Mission Trail, El Segundo Barrio, and Concordia Cemetery are just a few of the places that will help you learn about the diverse populations and enterprises of the westernmost city of the Texas Bankhead Highway.
A. Winston Tourist Home (El Torito Grocery)
3205 Alameda Ave.
Today this building is home to El Torito Grocery, but in the 1940s it was known as the A. Winston Tourist Home. In the 1940s and 50s, African American travelers often did not have access to public hotels. Anderson and Gertrude Winston offered housing in their home, and operated a café and an auto garage. Publications like the Negro Motorist Green Book provided tourists a way to engage with African American-friendly businesses.
More Locations in El Paso
Red Mill Tourist Courts (Stagecoach Inn)
4110 Alameda Ave.
The historic 1924 Red Mill Court and adjoining café features distinctive Mission Revival architecture with Spanish tile roofs and stucco walls. The one- and two-story rooms in a U-shaped arrangement wrapped around a central building that originally served as the office and a gas station.
Goodrich Silvertown Gas Station
501 Texas Avenue
Now called the San Carlos Building and housing a restaurant and business offices, this Spanish Colonial Revival-style building was constructed in 1929 as the Goodrich Silvertown Gas Station. The historic service doors and fueling area remain evident today.
Hotel Paso del Norte (Camino Real Hotel)
115 S. El Paso St.
The Mexican Revolution was over long before the Bankhead Highway came through town, but the roof garden of the El Paso de Norte Hotel was a perfect place to witness the skirmishes across the border. Designed in 1912 by renowned architectural firm Trost and Trost, the hotel was El Paso’s most ornate, and featured a stained glass dome by Louis Comfort Tiffany in its lobby. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Plaza Hotel
106 Mills Ave.
Despite the stock market crash and the onset of the Great Depression occurring just weeks after construction began on Conrad Hilton’s first high rise hotel, the Hilton opened in 1930 to become the city’s most luxurious hotel. Sold in 1963 and re-opened as the Plaza Hotel, it continued operations until 1991. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Auto Sales Dealership
1030 Texas Ave.
The 1931 auto dealership building is still in the automobile business as a Firestone service center. Notice the front drive-through canopy, stucco construction, balconies and tile roof features of the Renaissance Revival style influenced architecture.
La Posta Motor Lodge
4111 N. Mesa St.
This motor lodge features distinctive stucco walls and ceramic tile on its awnings, just as it did when it opened in 1940. It continues to serve the traveling public as a motel and houses several other retail operations.
Charcoaler Drive-In
5837 N. Mesa
Run by the same family since 1961, the Charcoaler Drive‐In is an El Paso institution. The Ranch Style architecture and iconic roadside signage make this the perfect refreshment stop to enjoy the view of the Franklin Mountains along this stretch of the Bankhead route.