[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 14392-14393]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             SOCORRO, TEXAS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Gallego) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, today, as we continue our journey through 
the 23rd District of Texas, I would like to highlight the historic city 
of Socorro, in El Paso County. It is located in the center of El Paso's 
Mission Valley, a valley named for three historic missions founded by 
Spanish priests, soldiers, and colonists.
  Socorro is also home to the Socorro High School Bulldogs. They are 
known for many things, but particularly they are known for their 
prowess in baseball. Socorro High is a former State champion in 
baseball. In a State as big as Texas, that is a pretty impressive feat.
  The roots of Socorro began to take shape in 1680 when Governor 
Antonio de Otermin and Father Francisco de Ayeta led the Spanish and 
Piro Indian refugees who were fleeing the New Mexico Pueblo Indian 
revolt to the El Paso area. Two years later, they built a mission, 
Nuestra Senora de la Limpia Concepcion del Socorro, the second-oldest 
mission in Texas. Unfortunately, this first mission was swept away by a 
flood on the Rio Grande in 1744 and a second mission was built.
  Today it may be hard to imagine, but the Rio Grande in those days was 
a wild river, much different from the dry riverbed or placid stream of 
today. And a powerful flood also washed away the second mission in 
1829.
  In 1843, the main part of the present Socorro mission was completed, 
and at that time, Socorro had a population of about 100 people. The 
city of Socorro is one of those cities in Texas that has seen several 
flags flown over it. Founded by the Spanish, it became a part of

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Mexico from 1821 to 1848, and as a result of the U.S.-Mexican war, 
Socorro became part of Texas.
  The area around El Paso can be arid and harsh, but the secret to 
Socorro's longevity has been its acequias, a well-designed system of 
irrigation canals still in existence today. These acequias provided 
water for crops and vineyards.
  The development of Socorro suffered a setback in 1881 when the 
railroads laid their track all the way to El Paso but they bypassed 
Socorro. This shifted the development and the political power into the 
city of El Paso itself. And yet the determined city of Socorro 
continued to grow, and it diversified and developed various industries. 
Its resolute citizens were determined to stay in the area.
  Later on, unscrupulous developers started to build homes and 
residential subdivisions there that didn't have paved streets or water 
or sewer, but Socorro residents again rose up against these builders of 
these colonias to make sure that their city survived and prospered. And 
today, the city of Socorro is home to some 32,000 people, making it the 
95th largest city in Texas.
  The city of Socorro is El Paso County's second largest municipality, 
and there is a lot of history in Socorro, a lot of places to go and 
see. If you have got a young kid, a young child, you will want to hang 
out where the community gathers, and that is at Bulldog Championship 
Park, which includes a splash park, an amphitheater, walking trails, 
and a pond.
  There is also the Socorro Entertainment Center, known as Speaking 
Rock, operated by the Tiguas, a Pueblo tribe located in the Ysleta del 
Sur Pueblo. The Entertainment Center welcomes recording artists like 
B.B. King and the Gipsy Kings, Everclear and Korn, just to name a few.
  Socorro is served by the Socorro Independent School District, with 
one high school, three middle schools, and five elementaries.
  I invite people visiting the 23rd to stop by Socorro, enjoy Texas 
culture. It is an infusion of Southwest history and Southwest 
traditions.

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