Mapping Inequality & Reclaiming Place – Demolition of a Neighborhood

Mapping Inequality & Reclaiming Place – Demolition of a Neighborhood

In 1956, congress passed the Federal-Aid Highway Act and created a vast interstate highway network across the country. It encompassed a 41,000 system that connected populations of more than 100,000 residents. Completed in the 1990’s and at a cost of a hundred billion dollars, it profoundly changed the landscape of America and how citizens travel and conduct business.

Interstate 10 was one of the largest interstate highways built with a length of 2,500 miles. It spans from Jacksonville, Florida to Santa Monica, California. Interstate 10 made its way through El Paso in the early 1960’s. Much of the interstate would cut through existing El Paso neighborhoods such as Lincoln Park, Rio Grande, Downtown and Sunset Heights. Large parcels of land were bought out and families left their homes. Much of this demolition happened in El Paso’s then Eastside which included Lincoln Park Neighborhood, the epicenter for El Paso’s African American community. A large amount of homes and businesses were lost despite a nationwide protest to save these communities from erasure and possible health hazards coming from construction and automobiles.

This map from the “Mapping Inequality” project documents redlining in El Paso. Dating back to the 1930s, redlining was a widespread, discriminatory practice that started during the New Deal-era when the United States government began offering government-insured mortgages to prevent mass foreclosures during the Great Depression. As the program grew, the government began adding qualifications to who could qualify for these mortgages based on the value and location of homes. Color-coded maps were used to evaluate the risk associated with the loan and, across the United States, Black and other non-white neighborhoods were consistently deemed high risk and circled with a red line. By labeling these areas high risk, banks and other mortgage agencies were able to deny loans to people of color. Though redlining was ultimately deemed illegal under the Fair Housing Act of 1968, its effects are still felt today. Redlining inhibited families from upward economic mobility during an era of unprecedented economic growth post-WWII and also restricted movement within cities.

As a result, the majority of El Paso’s historic Black homes and businesses are located within these redlined areas. A current list of identified locations is available here on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/4DW2ao2WTipU58G27

This object is currently on view in the El Paso Museum of History's newest exhibition Still We Rise: El Paso's Black Experience on view until January 2024.

Area: Central / Downtown

Source: Robert K. Nelson, LaDale Winling, Richard Marciano, Nathan Connolly, et al., “Mapping Inequality,” American Panorama, ed. Robert K. Nelson and Edward L. Ayers, accessed September 29, 2023, https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/[YOUR VIEW].

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

Anson Mills Building

The Anson Mills Building is an historic building located at 303 ...

El Paso City Hall

This City Hall was built in 1899, and was torn down in the ...

Downtown Fire Station

Firefighters on fire trucks at the Downtown fire station in El ...

Union Pacific Train - El Paso, Texas

Union Pacific Train on the border in El Paso, Texas.

Union Pacific Train - El Paso, Texas

Union Pacific Train in El Paso, Texas.

Stanton St. Bridge headed into Mexico

Stanton St. Bridge headed into Mexico

Santa Fe Bridge

The Paso del Norte Bridge is also known as the “Santa Fe ...

Santa Fe Street Bridge

The Paso del Norte Bridge is also known as the “Santa Fe ...

Santa Fe Bridge.

The Paso del Norte Bridge is also known as the “Santa Fe ...

Santa Fe Bridge - El Paso, Texas

The Paso del Norte Bridge also known as the “Santa Fe Street ...

Border Patrol

Border Patrol work in the river.

The grocery gallery

The grocery gallery in 404 durango st

The grocery gallery

The grocery gallery in 404 durango st

Mural, 201 E.9th near Border hwy 3-9-2010

mural, 201 E. 9th near Border hwy 3-9-2010 This is on the south ...

Federal Bldg H

Federal Bldg H - downtown El Paso, Texas.

El Diario 1801 Texas

El Diario 1801 Texas 6-9-12 a & b Headquarters of the Spanish ...

El Paso Boxers, De Soto Hotel

boxers, De Soto Hotel, 309 E. Mills The listed artists are Jose ...

Aztec Calendar Painted

The replica Aztec Calendar can be visited at Calendar Park in ...

Boxing Hall of Fame Mural

This Boxing Hall of Fame mural is a creation by Mr. "Pano" ...

Carvings at O.T. Bassett Tower Entrance

The picture shows the entrance of the O.T. Bassett Tower. ...

Lobby of O.T. Bassett Tower

The photograph shows the lobby of the O.T. Bassett Tower. Henry ...

Stone Eagles on O.T. Bassett Tower

The picture shows parts of the O.T. Basset Tower. It was built ...

O.T. Bassett Tower and Bank Eagle

The picture shows the eagle installed in front of the bank ...

home.search_collection