Did Texas steal El Paso from New Mexico? Depending on who you ask, the answer is likely straightforward. However, for Blake Gumprecht, an Albuquerque-based writer and longtime geographer who once lived and worked in the borderlands, the answer is a matter of delving into historical records to find the facts.  

On the latest podcast episode of “Conversations Different,” host Inez Russell Gomez talks with Gumprecht about his efforts to find out if Texas did in fact steal El Paso from New Mexico. The two discuss Gumprecht’s findings on this unusual topic and how he used them to write an article published in the Western Historical Quarterly.  

The premise of the article suggests El Paso may not have originally belonged to Texas when it was incorporated into the state because of geographical changes brought by westward expansion. A lack of credible sourcing to corroborate any claims regarding incorporation, especially those of Robert S. Neighbors, is also raised in the article.  

Throughout the episode, Inez and Gumprecht also reflect on the political and cultural significances El Paso has had in Texas and how different it would be today had the Sun City been a part of the Land of Enchantment.  

Check out more of Gumprecht’s work by visiting his website blakegumprecht.wordpress.com