Guns in schools? Drinking and driving? Leaving cars and homes unlocked? Smoking areas for high school students? Yep, all once totally normal in El Paso and Texas in general once upon a time.
Between December, 1884 and December, 1885 ... about 3 years before Jack The Ripper did his thing in London ... 8 girls were attacked, raped and murdered in Austin, Texas.
You can find various online sources. However, Wikipedia claims that in addition to the regular "business" of housing POWs during the Civil War, there were horrible things that took place here during that time.
Route 66 runs, mostly, from Chicago to California with segments crisscrossing Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Arizona's stretch has some pretty cool stuff.
An illegal alien from El Paso volunteered to fight in WW I with the US Army, became Texas' most decorated veteran and the 1st Hispanic American to get a Distinguished Service Cross.