Rev. Joseph W. Tays - El Paso, Texas
Reverendo Joseph W. Tays - El Paso, Tejas

Rev. Joseph W. Tays - El Paso, Texas

Reverend Joseph Tays, an Episcopal missionary who founded El Paso's first Protestant church, arrived in El Paso in 1870, a widower with two boys. C. L. Sonnichsen records the story that a month after he began his mission in El Paso, Tays sent word to Austin that he was "doing his best." Tays was learning Spanish and at least one saloon keeper had closed his doors and found another vocation because of him. He not only preached and taught, he worked in real estate and served the county as surveyor. Tays laid the cornerstone of the first St. Clement's Episcopal Church on Christmas day in 1881. Local Historian and Author Leon Metz writes that after having conducted the funeral of a smallpox victim, Tays contracted the dreaded disease himself and died after a week's suffering. Late in the evening of November 21, two men from the city wrapped Parson Tay's body in a sheet and delivered it quickly to Concordia. He was buried without ceremony in the middle of the night during a violent rain storm. The man who had helped so many in early El Paso was buried with only two grave diggers present. (per http://www.epcounty.com/history/concordia.htm)

Area: Central / El Paso High

Source: El Paso County Historical Society

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

Math Teacher Ulrickson and Student - 1997 - El Paso, Texas

Math Teacher Ulrickson and Student - 1997 Luz Ramos Ulrickson ...

Sam Govea, Josh Ferguson & Varsity Basketball Team - 1997

Coach Govea, Coach Ferguson with 1997 Varsity Basketball Team .

Martha Garibay, Spanish Teacher - 1997

Martha Garibay, Spanish Teacher - 1997

Judith Flood, Teacher, Cathedral High, El Paso, TX 1997

Judith Flood - Teacher - 1997 - Cathedral High School - El Paso, ...

Sister Teresa Henry - 1997

Sister Teresa Henry - 1997

Estella Gonzalez - 1997

Estella Gonzalez - 1997 - El Paso, Texas.

Cathedral High School Yearbook - 1997

Cathedral High School Yearbook - 1997

Brothers Of The Christian School - El Paso, Texas - 1976

Cathedral High School Yearbook - 1976

Cathedral High School Entrance - 1923 - El Paso, Texas

Cathedral High School, Entrance - 1923 - El Paso, Texas ...

Cathedral High School - 1966

Left to Right: Eddie Armendariz, Unknown, Brother Steven, ...

Jose Manuel De La Rosa - 1976

Jose Manuel De La Rosa - Cathedral High El Paso ,Texas Senior, ...

Cathedral High School - 1976

Cathedral High School El Paso Texas- Senior and Freshman ...

Cathedral High School - Student Council Officers - 1976

Cathedral High School - Student Council Officers - 1976

Cathedral High School - 1976

Cathedral High Engineering Club - Literary Club - Irish Choir El ...

Cathedral High School Teacher - Raul Guereca

Cathedral High School Teacher - Raul Guereca

Mr. G - Cathedral High School - 1976

On page 143 - school 1976 yearbook - Cathedral High School El ...

Luis Esparza - Valedictorian - Cathedral High School 1976

Luis Esparza - Valedictorian - Cathedral High School 1976 - El ...

Jose Angel Frietze Jr., Salutatorian 1976

Jose Angel Frietze Jr., Salutatorian, Cathedral High El Paso ...

Brother Brenden Hayden - 1996 - El Paso, Texas

Brother Brenden Hayden Cathedral High El Paso,Texas 1996

Cathedral High School Mission - 1997

Cathedral High School Mission - 1997

Cathedral High School - 1996

Sports - Cathedral High School El Paso, Texas - 1996

Candle Lighting Ceremony - 1996

Cathedral High School - 1996

Cathedral High School - 1997

Farewell to the class of Cathedral High El Paso Texas yearook ...

home.search_collection