O'Shea Keleher Elementary School - El Paso, Texas

El Paso Poor Farm was established in the valley in 1915 under the operation of John O'Shea. His wife, Agnes O'Shea, was in charge of residents. John died in 1929, and the couple's daughter, Helen O'Shea Keleher, assumed operation of the farm with her mother. The farm was scheduled to close in 1929 due to troubled times, but its population grew. Renamed "Rio Vista Farm," it hosted a variety of public welfare programs beginning in the 1930s. A temporary base for a Civilian Conservation Corps unit in 1936, the farm continued to shelter hundreds of homeless adults and children. From 1951 to 1964, the farm was used as a reception and processing center for the Bracero Program, which brought Mexican laborers to work in the lower valley of El Paso and other agricultural area. The poor farm closed in 1964. Phone: (915) 937-7200 Address: 1800 Leroy Bonse, El Paso, TX 79936 Grades: PK - 5 Mascot: Crusaders School Colors: Purple and gold

Area: Eastside / Montwood

Source: SISD

Uploaded by: SISD