Border fence
Valla fronteriza

Border fence

Border Fence C-I, 6-26-09 Not the smartest thing I ever did. I kept thinking, “Oh, the things I’ll do for a picture!” I started out just wanting a couple of pictures of the Rio Grande from Paisano near Executive before the construction of the Border Fence blocked the view (not knowing construction would soon halt). After taking a few pictures of the Rio Grande and the Asarco smokestack (see the “Around El Paso” folder), I began walking toward town along Paisano. As I wanted pictures of the fence, I had to walk on the opposite side of the street, and that proved to be extremely difficult. As can be seen in pictures “C” and “G,” that side of the street has a knee-high concrete barrier, then a narrow space filled with brush, trash, and assorted thorny plants, then a chain-link fence. There was no choice but to push my way sideways through all those obstacles for quite a long way. At times, overgrown thorn trees totally blocked this narrow passage and I had to climb over the concrete barrier, walk past the tree, then climb back over before getting smeared across the barrier by oncoming traffic. The concrete barrier was so hot to the touch that leaning on it caused blisters. Often the weeds and thorns were waist high and I had to just force my way through them. My jeans, socks, and shoes were soon full of thistles. There were bleeding scratches on my arms, rips in my shirt from the thorns and fence (which swayed and buckled as I tried to keep my balance, and sometimes was caved in completely). Just beyond the fence was a muddy, noxious stream beside railroad tracks and the possibility of falling in was not soothing to contemplate. (See “train along Paisano 6-26-09” in the “Trains” folder.) I continued to plow through the brambles, weeds, trash and trees until finally I came upon a break in the center barrier of Paisano where the Asarco trucks pull in and out. I crossed finally and had an open sidewalk at last but still a long, hot walk to go. Picture “I” is from the W. Yandell overpass to Sunset Heights. I started this trek around 11:20 a.m. At 1:20 p.m. I dragged myself into the Circle K in Sunset Heights, bought a pint of water, and gulped it all before the #10 bus came. The day reached 98 degrees. And construction of the fence stopped right where it was in picture “D” and is still there as I write this in 2012.

Creator: Leo Militech

Area: Central / Sunset Heights

Collection: Snapshots of El Paso (1966-2012)

Source: Leo Militich

Reference ID: Disc 2: Borders

Uploaded by: El Paso Museum of History

Comments

Add a comment
Thank you for your comment

Report this entry

Choose the most important reason for this report

Your name

Your email address

Optional detail

Thank you for your report

More from the same community-collection

Neighborhoods and Shared Memories: Sunset Heights

At the turn of the 19th to 20th century, the neighborhood began ...

Neighborhoods and Shared Memories: Sunset Heights

As an affluent to middle-class neighborhood, Sunset Heights ...

Neighborhoods and Shared Memories: Sunset Heights

As an affluent to middle-class neighborhood, Sunset Heights ...

Neighborhoods and Shared Memories: Sunset Heights

During the 19th century, El Paso, like many parts of the United ...

Neighborhoods and Shared Memories: Sunset Heights

During the 19th century, El Paso, like many parts of the United ...

Neighborhoods and Shared Memories: Sunset Heights

During the 19th century, El Paso, like many parts of the United ...

Neighborhoods and Shared Memories: Sunset Heights

Sitting to the northwest of downtown, Sunset Heights is one of ...

Neighborhoods and Shared Memories: Sunset Heights

By the early 1900s, many well-heeled El Pasoans had settled in ...

Neighborhoods and Shared Memories: Sunset Heights

By the early 1900s, many well-heeled El Pasoans had settled in ...

Neighborhoods and Shared Memories: Sunset Heights

At the turn of the 19th to 20th century, the neighborhood began ...

Neighborhoods and Shared Memories: Sunset Heights

At the turn of the 19th to 20th century, the neighborhood began ...

Neighborhoods and Shared Memories: Sunset Heights

Built by Trost & Trost in 1905, the Williams residence at 323 W. ...

Neighborhoods and Shared Memories: Sunset Heights

By the early 1900s, many well-heeled El Pasoans had settled in ...

Neighborhoods and Shared Memories: Sunset Heights

At the turn of the 19th to 20th century, the neighborhood began ...

2016 EPCHS Hall of Honor

Preparing for the 2016 El Paso County Historical Society Hall ...

EPCHS Hall of Honor 2016

Preparing for the 2016 El Paso County Historical Society Hall of ...

2016 EPCHS Hall of Honor

Preparing for the 2016 El Paso County Historical Society Hall of ...

Moses Archer Goff

1847-1937 Goff came to El Paso from Missouri to sell real ...

CELEBRATION OF THE 19TH AMENDMENT AT THE BURGES HOUSE.

Celebration of the centennial anniversary of the formal adoption ...

Masons presenting Community Builders Award to Leon C. Metz

Master Rotz of Five Points Lodge # 1137 A.F. & A.M. presented ...

President Kennedy and Raymond Telles

President Kennedy and Raymond Telles Image ...

El Paso Women’s Bar Association Board Meeting 2022-2023

The board members of the El Paso Women’s Bar Association held ...

The Holguins' in El Paso

The eleven children of Trinidad and Luz Holguin; Hector Jr.'s ...

home.search_collection