C.R. Morehead

CHARLES R. MOREHEAD. Of El Paso pioneers who were in at the beginning of the real era of civic and commercial progress, at the coming of the railroads, few now survive. Of those who were on the ground in advance of the railroad, including such notable characters as Judge Magoffin and a group of other well known citizens. His thirty odd years of El Paso residence meant much for the community -- his friends say no man has done more, not only in a business way, but as a force for the building of the real city on broad foundations on municipal efficiency and educational and moral attainments and civic wholesomeness. Charles R. Morehead lived a life of varied eventfulness in the west, and has much to his credit that might be written at greater length than is possible in the compass of the short article. Mr. Morehead, who is a native of Missouri and of an old and prominent American family, concerning which some mention will be made in following paragraphs, came to El Paso to take up his permanent residence in the early part of 1881, before the first railroad train came into the city, and at once took steps to give El Paso its first banking institution -- the State National Bank. He organized the bank and opened it for business in April, 1881, and has ever since been at the head of that solid institution. e career he was the dominating influence both in business and public affairs. He was a stanch advocate of honest government and civic improvement. No citizen has stood more firmly as an advocate for education in the city of El Paso. One of his first tasks after getting his bank well established was to build up a public school system and he is given credit for having laid a substantial basis for the public school system. Very often his incessant labor in behalf of education was mingled with the practical charity which has been an equal characteristic of the man. He has interested himself not only in the broader form of benevolence and public spirit, but has extended his means and personal assistance to hundreds, especially of the dependent and orphan children of the city. A few years after the close of the Civil war. Mr. Morehead was elected mayor of Leavenworth, Kansas, and thus had considerable practical experience in the administration of a municipality before he came to El Paso. Here also he consented to serve one term in the office of mayor, not for the political honor, but in order to have the facilities for carrying out some much needed public improvement of which he was an advocate. His most conspicuous achievement while in the office was to prevent the proposed taking of water for public purposes from the river instead of from the purer source of the Mesa, and he thus insured practically for all times an undefiled supply of fine water for this city. Charles R. Morehead was born at Richmond, Missouri, February 28, 1836, a son of Charles R. Morehead, Sr. and his wife Fannie Warder. the Morehead family has a wide distribution in the United States and was planted in the colony of Virginia in the early colonial era. It has produced a number of distinguished sons, and many brilliant men have been among the family relationship. There are governors of states, soldiers in all the wars of the nation, successful business men and workers in the profession.

Area: Central / Downtown

Source: El Paso Historical Society

Reference ID: 013-1983-021-3

Uploaded by: El Paso Museum of History