In 1956 the Times ran a historical photo contest. They would print a photo in the paper and readers would write in with information about the photo. Here is the contest photo from the week of 03/10/56-03/16/1956.
STORMSVILLE - This settlement on the present site of Rim Road district torn down to make way for the elaborate new residential area in the late 1920s. It's name, Stormsville, had no relation to the weather. It was derived from the name of the owner of the land, an attorney named Storms.
The winner of the Stormsville photo contest was Jose Morrado. Here is his letter followed by other submissions:
One night in March of the year 1927, or was it 1928, I was to take part in a theatrical performance for a church benefit. I didn't Even know where we were going. My friends came for me about half past seven that evening. I remember that we went up Stanton Street and when we reached what is now Rim Road we turned to the right. The road was full of rocks and in a very bad condition. After riding about ten minutes we came to a settlement of little houses of adobe, corrugated tin, and pasteboard. We stopped in front of little church that resembled the Spanish churches of Colonial days.
At the front of the church a platform had been erected on which stood some antiquated pieces of furniture and around which hung some dilapidated curtains. This was the setting for the theatrical performance. A few oil lamps gave a dim light and in the gloomy atmosphere we gathered: Fernando Navarro, Victorica, Estela, and myself, and some others whom I cannot now recall. We were commenting about the coming performance in which we were to take part and during a pause in the conversation I walked over to the edge of the cliff. I stood there a moment looking upon the panorama of El Paso at night. It was magnificent! And I thought to myself that someday this place would be the loveliest in El Paso.
About nine o'clock the play was to begin. Men, women and children came with chairs, benches and stools, about one hundred people in all - more or less the entire population of that section then known as La Mesa. One could see that these were very humble people.
A strong wind was blowing and dust was in the air as it often happens here in March! The oil lamps blew out and the curtains swung back and forth. The drama which was to have been presented was entitled "Hasta El Cielo" (All The Way To Heaven). It would take about an hour and a half to present it. The play started and at first the actors played their roles seriously, but each gust of wind blew stronger and we tried to hurry the play up, but at the end of forty minutes the drama had turned ito a happy comedy. We tried to excuse ourselves but the people applauded and laughed and coaxed us on. Then Fernando Navarro recited some sentimental poems, Victorica told some jokes, I sang popular songs and Estela tried to get the people to go home bu they paid no attention. They asked for encores and so the show went on into the night. It was 1 a.m. before they started going home, carrying their chairs and benches with them. Everybody had a wonderful time.
We were discussing among ourselves and laughing about the events of the evening when a tall thin man came over to us. He had a kind smile and as he greeted us amiably and shook hands he said, "I am Mr. Storms, and I shall be your friend from today on." He added, "You wanted to reach heaven but the wind wouldn't let you, nevertheless you transformed a serious drama into a delightful comedy." None of us knew him except Estela who had been his secretary for a number of years.
Some time passed and one day I needed a lawyer so I went to the Caples Building to see Mr. Storms, for I recalled that night on the Mesa. From that day on we were good friends.
One day Estela invited me to go with her to collect some rents, and we drove to the Mesa. We probably would collect no rents from these poor people of Stormsville, but this was part of Estela's work at Mr. Storm's office. When we arrived on La Mesa I realized how poor the settlement was. The people were really poverty stricken and the district had neither streets nor any public utilities - it was indeed primitive. Estela visited a few houses and I noticed that nobody had been able to pay any rent; as a matter of fact Estela told me that she had given seventy-five cents to a needy old woman. I commented on this manner of renting property, so strange in a person who was a lawyer like Storms; and Estela told me that Mr. Storms was a very kind man, never pressed his tenants for the rent, was always giving money away to the needy, and would never ask a person to move who was too poor to pay the rent. Instead, he let his renters pay when they could gather the money together, which was not very often. Estela went on to tell me that Mr. Storms was a rich man, but with poor clients who paid him very little. I, too, was his client, but he never presented me with a bill and would accept only a small sum when I offered to pay. And that was the way he lived, his fortune gradually dwindling away.
One day after returning to town from a vacation, I stopped by Mr. Storm's office, and when I found it closed, I inquired next door. I was told that Mr. Storms had died.
Today the old Mesa is Rim Road, one of the most beautiful and panoramic parts of the city. From those ruins arose lovely home which are the pride of El Paso. And the original owner, who through his goodness and generosity died a poor man, had had to be buried by his friends. The little settlement of Stormville is the only tribute to this pioneer El Pasoan.
Stormsville letter: Mrs. Fred D. Buckaloo
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