Neighborhoods and Shared Memories: Sunset Heights
Vecindarios y recuerdos compartidos: Sunset Heights

Neighborhoods and Shared Memories: Sunset Heights

By the early 1900s, many well-heeled El Pasoans had settled in Sunset Heights. Many of those residents were business and political leaders involved with city growth and planning strategies. Several factors played in to building El Paso: Politics and impending revolution on the other side of the Rio Grande, the expanded railroad and continued westward expansion, and mounting instability in Europe. These events linked directly to migration either from families moving from other parts of the United States, or from other countries. European migrants came from Germany, Prussia, and other central countries. There was also a growing number of people coming from Middle-Eastern countries such as Lebanon and Syria. A steady stream of Mexican families joined relatives on the northern side of the river and Chinese migrants, previously deported or persecuted during Chinese Exclusion after 1882, continued to cross for work through a series of clandestine tunnels leading to an exit at the Sunset Heights boarding residence known as Turtle House. Neighborhood leaders and residents were connected in one or more aspects to these events: mostly through commerce and diplomacy. City Attorney Richard F. Burges, built his home but a short walk to town and played a prominent part in the development of El Paso and the Southwest. As city attorney from 1905 to 1907 he led the fight against organized gambling and wrote the city charter that was still in effect at the time of his death. Like Mr. Burges, Major W.J. Fewel contributed to shaping city infrastructure. In addition to financing the first paved street, he was instrumental in setting up the gas company for the region. He was also a city council member in1905-07. Women also contributed to the success of city building and the growth of the neighborhood. Olga Kohlberg, wife of Ernst Kohlberg, helped establish the first free public kindergarten in Texas and supported the first public library, becoming president of its board in 1903. She served twice as president of the El Paso Women's Club, established in 1898, and was an honorary board member for the rest of her life. She also guided the restoration of the three parks of the city. The Kohlberg family was also active in the Jewish community, supporting the Mount Sinai Jewish congregation in 1898, and the building of the first Temple Mount Sinai in 1903. In addition to the more prominent community leaders and neighborhood residents, many Sunset Heights families actively contributed to the growth of city and the neighborhood’s legacy on a daily basis. These names also have a place within the historical record, recovered for posterity. Today, Sunset Heights is comprised of a wide-ranging group of residents: students, professionals, working-class and upper-middle class.

Area: Central / Sunset Heights

Source: El Paso Museum of History

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

EPCC Rio Grande

I’ve taken pictures at just two of the Community College ...

Border fence

Border Fence C-I, 6-26-09 Not the smartest thing I ever did. I ...

Home In Sunset Heights

Home located in the historical Sunset Heights area.

225 Porfirio Diaz back

Photo taken by Thurman Studio Portraits & Commercial Photography ...

225 Porfirio Diaz - El Paso, Texas

Photo taken by Thurman Studio Portraits & Commercial Photography ...

803 Upson

Photo taken by Thurman Studio Portraits & Commercial Photography ...

803 Upson

Photo taken by Thurman Studio Portraits & Commercial Photography ...

Graduation from Jesus and Mary Academy - 1947 - El Paso, Texas

Located in Sunset Heights. Home was located across the street ...

Border Fence

The image shows the border fence looking into Mexico. It was ...

Border Fence

The picture was taken from the West Yandell overpass looking out ...

Border Fence

The picture looks over to Ciudad Juarez and shows parts of the ...

Vilas Elementary School

This is a photograph of the Vilas Elementary School in the ...

Perrenot Children

Children of Jane Burges Perrenot, a life-long El Pasoan, was ...

Mary R. Haynes Circa 1982

President of the El Paso County Historical Society.

Mrs. Olga Kohlberg

Mrs. Kohlberg (Olga Berstein Kohlberg) was one of the pioneer ...

The Lorentzen and Lane families

Family photograph taken in the living room at 521 Randolph St. ...

Lorentzen Family - El Paso, Texas

Ada Lane Lorentzen and daughter Julia Lane Lorentzen at three ...

Ada Lane Lorentzen & son John Nathan Lorentzen

Ada Lane Lorentzen and son John Nathan Lorentzen, Spring 1914.

Sunset Heights Historic District

Sunset Heights is a historic area in El Paso, Texas; which has ...

El Paso Street

This is an image of what can be seen walking down El Paso Street ...

Photo Prospect House

Victorian House at 1213 Prospect Street in Sunset Heights owned ...

Home of famous architect Henry Trost

Home of famous El Paso architect Henry Trost who is responsible ...

Penny Arcade handbill

Handbill c. 1906 found in basement of 1029 Upson in 2015.

home.search_collection