El Paso’s Union Plaza: A Timeline of the Historic District That Built Downtown

Few corners of El Paso carry as much history as Union Plaza. Anchored by the iconic Union Depot at 700 San Francisco Street, the district has been a crossroads of culture, commerce, and community for well over a century. From railroad boomtown to Mexican Revolution lookout tower to modern entertainment hub, here is a chronological look at the moments that shaped one of El Paso's most storied neighborhoods.

1881: The Railroad That Put El Paso on the Map

When the Southern Pacific Railroad arrived in El Paso in 1881, it changed everything. The small desert town exploded almost overnight, attracting bankers, merchants, cattlemen, miners, and gamblers from across the country. The area that would eventually become Union Plaza was ground zero for that growth, and the neighborhood has carried that railroad DNA ever since.

1906: El Paso Gets America's First International Train Station

The crown jewel of Union Plaza came in the form of the Union Depot, completed in 1906 and designed by renowned Chicago architect Daniel H. Burnham, the same man behind Washington D.C.'s Union Station. What made the El Paso depot truly one of a kind was how it came to exist: six American railroad companies and the National Railway of Mexico pooled their resources to build it together, making it the first train station in the United States built specifically for international rail travel, with direct service running between the U.S. and Mexico. On opening night in February 1906, more than 10,000 people poured through the doors to see the new landmark for themselves. The building rose in neo-classical red brick, complete with a six-story bell tower topped with a dramatic spire that became one of the most recognizable silhouettes on the El Paso skyline.

1910s: Pancho Villa Used the Bell Tower as a Wartime Lookout

During the Mexican Revolution, El Paso became a refuge for exiles and political figures fleeing the conflict just across the border. The Union Depot tower, standing six stories tall with a clear sightline toward Ciudad Juarez, reportedly caught the attention of one of history's most famous revolutionaries. Legend holds that Pancho Villa used the bell tower as a lookout point during an attack on Juarez, all while General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing was actively hunting Villa from nearby Fort Bliss. Whether the story is confirmed history or borderland folklore, it speaks to just how central Union Plaza was to life on the U.S.-Mexico border during one of the most turbulent eras in North American history.

1940s: A Controversial Makeover Covers the Original Red Brick

By the 1940s, the Southwestern architectural style had become fashionable, and a local women's group pushed for the station to be remodeled to reflect a more "regionally appropriate" look. The changes were dramatic. The six-story bell tower's spire was removed, the original red brick was covered over with cream-colored stucco, the roof was redone with red tiles, and the iron fence surrounding the building was replaced with an adobe wall. Many El Pasoans pushed back, arguing the station should remain as close to its original form as possible. Their concerns were noted, but the changes went through anyway.

WWII: El Paso's Railroad Kept the City Fed While the Country Rationed

While the rest of the country was tightening its belt during World War II, El Paso was one of the rare exceptions. The Fred Harvey Coffee Shop at Union Depot held a contract to feed the military as troop trains flooded through the city, and because of the volume of food shipments flowing into El Paso to support that mission, the city was largely exempt from wartime food rationing. At its peak, more than 30 trains were arriving and departing from the depot daily. Union Plaza was not just a transit hub during the war, it was a logistical lifeline.

1960: Elvis Presley Kisses an El Paso Girl at Union Depot

On April 20, 1960, about 2,000 screaming fans packed Union Depot to catch a glimpse of Elvis Presley passing through the city. A 16-year-old El Paso girl named Joanne Van Tassel walked away from that night with a story she probably told for the rest of her life. The King kissed her. Mind you, the King had been dating Priscilla for a year at this point!

1974: The Doors Close

Passenger rail traffic had been declining nationally since the postwar years, as cars and airplanes made train travel feel like a relic. By the early 1970s, one local historian noted that pigeons had become more numerous at the depot than passengers. The El Paso Union Passenger Depot Company ceased operations in 1974, and the building went up for sale.

1982: A Full Restoration Brings the Original Vision Back

Rather than let the landmark sit and deteriorate, the City of El Paso stepped in and purchased the building. Under Mayor Ray Salazar, the city secured over $1.2 million in federal, state, and local grant funding and launched a full restoration in 1982. Workers stripped the cream stucco off the exterior to reveal the original red brick underneath. The bell tower's spire was rebuilt and returned to its rightful place. Original woodwork was preserved wherever possible, and marble was imported from Italy to replace the damaged columns inside, just as Burnham's original design had called for. After decades of alterations, Union Depot finally looked like itself again. Sun Metro took over the building and continues to lease space to Amtrak to this day.

Mid-1990s: The Entertainment District Takes Shape

After a nearby jeans factory closed in 1980 and the surrounding blocks fell into decline, community advocates helped establish the Union Plaza Entertainment District in the mid-1990s. Local figures like Gilbert Guillen served on the first Union Plaza executive committee under Mayor Larry Francis, helping lay the groundwork for what the neighborhood would eventually become: a mixed-use district of bars, restaurants, live music venues, and local businesses that made downtown El Paso feel alive again.

That spirit was on full display just this past Sunday when Baconfest took over Union Plaza, packing the historic blocks with food trucks and filling the air with live music from a stage set right in the heart of the plaza itself. Over a century after those first 10,000 people walked through the Union Depot doors, the neighborhood is still drawing crowds and giving El Pasoans a reason to gather. The best days of this historic district may still be ahead.

Taste of El Paso Year 2 Wing Competition

Taste of El Paso Year 2 was huge and at the heart of it all was the Wing Competition! A panel of Guest Judges including Grizz, Isabella Martinez of KVIA, Miss Earth Gia Soleil Espinoza, Evan George Vourazeris from the hit show Ozark, AJ of El Pasos BS Podcast, and a surprise judge pulled from the crowd all crowned The Wing Wiz food truck this years champion!

Wing Wiz won the inaugural Wing Belt! A pro wrestling style trophy belt that Wing Wiz will have to bring back next year to defend against a new group of wing contenders!

Gallery Credit: Grizz

The Geeks Guide To El Paso: All Star Comics & Toys

All Star Comics & Toys in Central El Paso is a staple of the geek community! Here for almost 40 years, this is a must visit for any vintage toy and comic collector in the Sun City!

Gallery Credit: Grizz

Throwback: Bad Bunny in El Paso, Texas

Before the Grammys and the Super Bowl, Bad Bunny played El Paso venues. Remember when he was just warming up for what would become a historic global rise?

Gallery Credit: Courtesy: Jorge Salgado