The First Thanksgiving

Currently In:  El Paso Texas
Next Up:  Alpine, Texas

Let's set the record straight here:  the only reason we stopped in El Paso was to wait until it got a bit warmer in West Texas as we make our way south.  But we decided to check out a couple of things while we are here.

First, I published several photos of some great camping sites we have had over the last year or so.  This is our spot in El Paso.  That's a highway clover leaf in the distance.  Not the most natural setting, but hey, who knew.

The Mission Trail began about 5 miles from our Park, so we checked that out first.  The entire trail is about 12 miles long.  Many of the chapels were established after the Native American Revolt of 1680 as people from both sides fled Santa Fe to the safety of El Paso and resettled.    It was the perfect day for us to visit these religious sites so we could say a special prayer for our family.

Begun in 1660, Mission Ysleta is the oldest continuously active parish in Texas.  Although parts of the original chapel remain, much of it was destroyed by fire and flood over the years.  The bell tower was added in 1897, and the last reconstruction was done in 1907.

Mission Socorro was begun in 1691.  Again, the flood of 1829 destroyed most of the Mission but this building was complete in 1843.

As luck would have it, a woman from the Mission had asked us to join a quick tour, so we learned a lot about the history of Socorro, the Mission Trail, and Texas.  She told us that the beams at the top of the Mission were from the original 1691 building.

The third and final stop was Presidio Chapel San Elizario.  It was built around 1684 when Spain established a presidio (military fort) here.  The Chapel served the soldiers and their families. The original was also destroyed when the Rio Grande flood in 1829, although this building contains some of the adobe bricks from the original and was completed in 1882.

There was a lovely grotto next to the chapel.

There was a historic town built around San Elizario.  We saw the town plaza and an original home from the 1780's.  The other historic buildings were now shops and restaurants.

This part of the Mission Trail is also part of the Camino Real that starts in Mexico and goes up to Santa Fe, NM.  The Camino Real was begun by Spanish explorer Juan de Onate in 1597.  Although they were looking for gold and silver for the Spanish crown, there were also enough people and animals to start communities along the way.  The road to San Elizario was treacherous; when they arrived a Mass was said and a huge celebration took place that included the Native Americans.  Thus the first Thanksgiving actually took place in El Paso 23 years before the one in New England.  So how about that?