San Antonio Street Around 1900

San Antonio Street Around 1900

The image shows San Antonio Street, El Paso, Texas probably in the beginning of 20th century. Coaches were still the way of transportation; no cars can be seen yet. However, the need for electricity in El Paso started around 1900, when El Paso grew from a small adobe village to a thriving city due to the arrival of the railroad in 1881. Electricity on a large scale was first used in transportation: The mule-drawn streetcar system was ended in 1900 and instead, electric cars were being used. Since then, electric streetcars did not only operate between El Paso and Juarez but routes were built in all directions; to Fort Bliss, Government Hill and to the Mesa Street route. In 1886, the first small direct generating plant had been established, providing current for a few street lights and stores. By 1890, the El Paso pioneer Zach T. White had assumed command of the electrical energy business and had new generating equipment installed at Third and Chihuahua Streets. The use of incandescent lamps began in El Paso stores and homes. Since then, electric systems grew and a larger generating plant was built (since 1910s). It supplied power not only to El Paso, but also to Juarez. El Paso Electric Railway Company was the largest electric company at that time.

Area: Central / Downtown

Source: C.L. Sonnichsen Special Collections, University of Texas at El Paso Library. Collection Name: Texas State Hist. Assoc-MS153. Photo ID: San Antonio Street.jpg.

Uploaded by: UTEP Library Special Collections

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

Street scene

A street scene in Downtown El Paso. The picture was taken in ...

Downtown El Paso

A street scene in Downtown El Paso. The picture was taken in ...

Church's Chicken

Church's Chicken fast food restaurant next to Walgreens on ...

Man on bench

Unknown man sitting on bench in downtown El Paso.

Downtown, Street Scene

A street scene on El Paso Street, Downtown El Paso.

Merrick Building

The Merrick building was built in 1887 in the Victorian style ...

Geneva Loan & Jewelry CO Down Town El Paso

Geneva Loan & Jewelry CO, was established in 1912 and is on 222 ...

Workers in downtown

Construction workers at the El Paso Chamber of Commerce and El ...

Street corner Mesa / Mills

The image shows construction in downtown El Paso, at the corner ...

.Schuster Ave and Mesa St.

Intersection of Schuster Avenue and Mesa Street in El Paso, ...

Police cars

Police cars blocking Oregon Street at Missouri in down town El ...

EL Paso Police

El Paso Police Depart cars blocking the way on Mesa Street in ...

Street Art

Chalk the Block is quickly becoming an El Paso signature event. ...

Tony Canales as Boxer

This pictures shows Tony Canales dressed with a sport suit, ...

El Cronómetro and Roma Hotel - El Paso, Texas

This picture shows the El Cronómetro, a jewelry and watches ...

Inside of El Cronómetro - El Paso, Texas

This picture is taken inside the El Cronómetro, a jewelry store ...

La Esmeralda Business - El Paso, Texas

Valente Cruz, Carmen, Maria Cruz and Louis Tschantré are ...

Carmen Tschantré 1929

This picture dates from February 1929. It shows Carmen ...

Carmen Tschantré 2

"This picture shows Carmen Tschantré. She is dressed up ...

Flooded S. El Paso Street - 1920's - El Paso, Texas

The picture shows South El Paso Street flooded. Kids are playing ...

Airship Graf Zeppelin - El Paso, Texas

The airship LZ-127 Graf Zeppelin overflew El Paso in the early ...

La Esmeralda Envelope

The picture features an envelope of La Esmeralda. The famous ...

La Esmeralda Store - 1929

Carmen Tschantré is standing in front of the well-known jewelry ...

home.search_collection