Some short facts about El Paso, from a Missouri newspaper, "The Missourian," on 12/4:

• El Paso is the fifth largest city in Texas, with a population of 563,662. It is the 23rd largest city in the United States.
• The city’s culture is a mixture of American Indian, American cowboy, Spanish and Mexican. It was founded on the Rio Grande and became part of the U.S. at the end of the Mexican War in 1848.
• El Paso is most famous for its Mission Trail, one of the oldest roads in the country, dating back 400 years.