Transportation
4
As early as 1881, El Paso leaders promoted creating a place along the base of the Franklin Mountains to give visitors a panoramic view of the area. The automobile renewed interest in the idea, and in 1920 the city council and Mayor Charles Davis approved construction of a scenic drive. Finished in October 1920, the 1.82-mile route became a popular attraction. It reaches an elevation of 4,222 feet, 500 feet above the Rio Grande. In 1932 the city contracted to widen and pave the road, and in 1934 Civilian Conservation Corps Company 855 of Fort Bliss carried out additional culvert work. Scenic Drive continues to attract visitors to views of El Paso, Ciudad Juárez, and the surrounding Chihuahuan desert.
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FIND IT
El Paso, Texas · United States
NEARBY MARKERS
William Beaumont General Hospital /Biggs Air Force Base / Fort Bliss
Military
The Rio Grande Rectification Project
Science & Tech
El Paso Lower Valley Missions/ Cordova Island/ The City and County of El Paso
History
The Franklin Mountains
Nature
The Chamizal Settlement
Civics
Mount Cristo Rey/ The Gadsden Purchase/ El Paso Smelting Works
History
