The Pass of the North
El Paso, El Paso County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Historically a major trade and travel artery for North America because it is the northernmost Rocky Mountain pass that stays snow-free throughout the year. Indians used pass long before Spaniard Cabeza de Vaca, thought to be first white man in area, crossed it about 1536. Juan de Onate brought first cattle into U.S. through the pass in 1598. Route was heavily traveled during California gold rush, 1849, and in later years important stage lines and railroads crossed Rockies here. Today the pass lies on one of three major travel routes across the continent. (1968)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Where the Rio Grande cuts between the mountains at El Paso lies the Pass of the North, the northernmost Rocky Mountain gap that stays free of snow year-round. Indigenous peoples traveled it for centuries before Spanish explorers arrived, and Juan de Oñate drove the first cattle into what is now the United States through it in 1598. In the 1849 gold rush and after, stage lines and railroads all funneled through this natural gateway.
Why it matters
For more than four centuries the pass has been one of the continent's great crossroads, shaping the movement of Indigenous nations, Spanish colonizers, gold-seekers, and the railroads that built the modern Southwest.
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Related people
- · Cabeza de Vaca
- · Juan de Oñate
Related events
- · California Gold Rush
Themes & tags
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