El Paso Was Once, (Maybe), The Largest City In Texas

We really were the lone star state's numero uno ... for a very, very quick, minute ... thanks to a war. Or, were we #3? There are conflicting numbers ...

It was during World War II that the population of El Paso jumped way up there and it was thanks to the military, specifically, Fort Bliss.

It didn't last long but, for a short while, Fort Bliss was home to over 100,000 troops. El Paso's population at the time was also around 100,000 which brought us to 200,000 in all.

According to this Facebook post, "more than 100,000 troops trained in and around El Paso, transforming the city into a major center for anti-aircraft artillery and military operations".

If you don't feel like clicking the "see more" tab, here's the important part:

Why Fort Bliss Made El Paso Huge

When the United States entered World War II, thousands of soldiers flooded into Fort Bliss for training.
By 1944, the military population stationed at Fort Bliss pushed the area's population above every other Texas city—including Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. - Facebook

Maybe Not Though

That post seems well researched but I did a little digging and it actually looks like we never did quite surpass Houston or Dallas. By the stats I found, we did grow enough to make 3rd place though, (in 1944), before falling back below San Antonio to put us in 4th.

READ MORE: Fort Bliss Is Texas 2nd Largest Military Base 

Fort Worth began to boom in the 60's and Austin really started coming on in the 70's and 80's. Currently, at nearly 700,000, El Paso is the 6th largest city in Texas.