Tuesday, July 03, 2012

Annie Londonderry Speaks at El Paso's McGinty Gardens, 1895

El Paso's McGinty Gardens around the time of Londonderry's visit, photo: El Paso Historical Society archives
In late June and early July 1895, El Paso was abuzz about cycling.  Famed cyclist Annie Londonderry was in town, as part of her trip around the world; she was the first woman to do that ride, and El Paso was one of her "champion" cities.  Here's a clip from the El Paso Herald, July 2, 1895.

click on the image to get a closer view
At the time, the McGinty Gardens was a popular place for public programs and concerts.  The Gardens was in what is now the Sunset Heights neighborhood in El Paso.  The site was leveled to provide fill dirt for the construction of Union Station near downtown.  More from the 1895 El Paso Herald article covering Londonderry's public address below:

Click on the image to get a closer view
click on the image to get a closer view
Click on the image to get a closer view

1 comment:

Nancy Chisum said...

Wonderful post! I did a short post on her back in April. I am delighted to see this and know a little more about her famous tour!