Chihuahuita

Chihuahuita (Little Chihuahua) was settled by Ricardo Brusuelas, who received a land grant from Spanish authorIties in 1818 and developed a prosperous ranch. After 1848, when the Rio Grande became part of the U.S.-Mexico border, new settlers arrived to farm the land. With the coming of the Santa Fe railroad in 1881, Chihuahuita began to grow dramatically.

Soon a crowded urban area, it was designated the city's first ward in 1887. When the wooden Santa Fe bridge was built in 1892, the area became a major entry point for people and goods from Mexico into the American Southwest. The old Brusuelas land grant eventually became the property of Pedro Y. Garcia, who filed an 1894 claim in a Mexican court that led to the Chamizal land dispute, finally settled in 1963.

The Mexican Revolution, which began in 1910, brought a surge of refugees north, many to Chihuahuita, and it served as a center of intrigue. It also provided views of the fighting across the Rio Grande. After the revolution, it continued to grow as a gateway to El Paso. At the same time, it became an overcrowded and neglected area, beset with housing and health problems.

Renewed interest in the historic neighborhood in the late 20th century resulted in clean-up and rehabilitation efforts. In 1991, the City of El Paso declared Chihuahuita a historic district because of its long and significant history. Today, Chihuahuita is an important reminder of the region's early growth and development.

(2003)