El Paso history features early Thanksgiving roots and civil rights milestones

El Paso holds several historical milestones, including a claim to the first Thanksgiving celebration in 1598. This event, involving Juan De Onate and local tribes along the Rio Grande near present-day San Elizario, predates the traditional Pilgrim narrative.

The city also features significant civil rights milestones. In 1955, El Paso became the first Texas city to vote out segregation in public schools. In 1957, Raymond Telles was elected as the nation’s first Hispanic mayor of a major American city. Additionally, in 1966, Coach Don Haskins of Texas Western College (now UTEP) broke the college sports color barrier by starting five Black players in a game against an all-white team from Kentucky.