Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/El Paso

EL PASO, or El Paso Del Norte, a town of Mexico, in the state of Chihuahua, situated on the Rio Grande, in a narrow valley near the frontier of New Mexico, 340 miles W.S.W. of Santa Fe, 31° 42' N. lat., 106° 40' W. long. The name is often applied to a whole group of small settlements on the Rio Grande, but belongs properly to the largest of their number, which owes its origin to the establishment of a military post. It is situated in the chief thoroughfare between New Mexico and Chihuahua. The town is a mere collection of brick huts without windows, and with earthen floors. In the district the vine is largely cultivated, and wine and brandy are manufactured. On account of the fertility of the soil the inhabitants enjoy an abundance of material luxuries, but they are totally ignorant of most of the appliances of civilized life. The population is about 6000.