San Elizario is a city in El Paso County, Texas, United States. Its population was 10,116 at the 2020 census. It is part of the El Paso metropolitan statistical area. It lies on the Rio Grande, which forms the border between the United States and Mexico. The city of Socorro adjoins it on the west and the town of Clint lies to the north.

History

La Toma: The Official Act of Possession

In 1598, Juan de Oñate, a Spanish nobleman and conquistador born in Zacatecas, Mexico, led a group of 539 colonists and 7,000 head of livestock (including horses, oxen, and cattle) from southern Chihuahua to settle the province of New Mexico. The caravan traveled a northeasterly route for weeks across the desert until it reached the banks of the Rio Grande in the San Elizario area. A mass was held, a blessing of the standard and a celebration. Oñate performed the ceremony of La Toma ("Taking Possession"), in which he claimed the new province for King Philip II of Spain. This is considered to be the "Birth of the American Southwest".

Hacienda de los Tiburcios

The settlement that became

San Elizario was first established sometime before 1760 as the civilian settlement of Hacienda de los Tiburcios. The hacienda was located along the route of Camino Real de Tierra Adentro southeast of Socorro on the west bank of the Rio Grande. The hacienda was eventually abandoned by the 1770s.

The town that grew up around the presidio took its name San Elzeario, or San Elceario (Spanish for Saint Elzear); Saint Elzéar of Sabran is the Roman Catholic patron saint of soldiers. After the Americans acquired the town at the end of the Mexican American War, its name was Americanized as San Elizario. On November 5, 2013, San Elizario residents voted to re-incorporate the town, having successfully fought off an attempt by Socorro to annex a portion of it, and San Elizario was officially incorporated when El Paso County Judge Veronica Escobar signed an order of incorporation on November 18, 2013.

On May 10, 2014, Maya Sanchez, who led the push to incorporate San Elizario, was elected mayor by a wide margin over two other candidates, while Leticia Hurtado-Miranda, David Cantu, Miguel Najera, Jr., Rebecca Martinez-Juarez, and George Almanzar were elected to the five city council seats.

Demographics

2020 census

San Elizario first appeared as a census designated place in the 1980 United States census;

As of the 2020 census, San Elizario had a population of 10,116 and 2,168 families in the city. The median age was 30.7 years. 30.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 10.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.1 males age 18 and over.

There were 2,942 households in San Elizario, of which 51.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 52.7% were married-couple households, 14.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 13.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 3,188 || 31.5%

|-

| Black or African American || 36 || 0.4%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 100 || 1.0%

|-

| Asian || 5 || 0.0%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%

|-

| Some other race || 3,083 || 30.5%

|-

| Two or more races || 3,704 || 36.6%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 9,873 || 97.6%

|}

2000 census

As of the census which ran from Mexico City through Ciudad Juárez, then called "Paso del Norte", to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Its close proximity to the Ysleta and Socorro missions also provided protection for them.

When Mexico became independent from Spain in 1821, the military presence at the presidio decreased. By 1848, the presidio had fallen into ruins. Rebuilding efforts began in 1853, with a small church. This proved inadequate, and the present structure was completed in 1882. The exterior appearance has changed very little since then.

Notable people

  • Ricardo Pepi, professional soccer player

References

  • City of San Elizario
  • San Elizario Genealogy and Historical Society
  • Cultural Heritage Society of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (San Elizario, Texas)
  • San Elizario Historic District NPS
  • San Elizario Historic District
  • El Paso Mission Trail