[2] A Spanish explorer who visited Chihuahuita called it Los Vueltos del Rio, or Turns of the River in 1583.

[6] A Catholic missionary, Fray Alonso de Benavides attempted and failed to convert the Manso to Christianity in 1630.

[13] A severe criticism of Chihuahuita at the time included its illegal saloons and red light district.

[20] Many Mexican families put up with the poverty and unhealthy conditions because they believed they would be able to save enough money to return to Mexico in improved financial standing.

[22] The city council then followed up in July with plans for road paving and expansion of water services.

[24] City plans in 1912 included standardizing and paving the roads and improving living conditions for residents of the neighborhood.

[25] Problems concerning infrastructure and community health in Chihuahuita were compounded by the lack of action on behalf of the city of El Paso, who made plans, but did not always follow through.

[28] The city of El Paso proposed a program of demolishing unsuitable housing, "one block a week," in 1914.

[29] General John J. Pershing offered to clean up the area himself,[29] and said he could introduce "modern sanitary methods.

"[27] The military's presence near the area did seem to have an effect, with the El Paso Herald reporting "The cleanliness of the infantry camp and the activity of the city health officers has resulted in Chihuahuita turning over a new leaf.

"[30] However, in 1915, a report of the area wrote, "Probably in no place in the United States could such crude, beastly, primitive conditions be found as exist in Chihuahuita.

[32] In 1916, the city dealt with Chihuahuita's many health and infrastructure problems by destroying much of the area's housing, displacing residents, many of whom moved back to Ciudad Juarez.

[37] People were still living in tenements "where as many as ten families shared a single toilet and relied on a central hydrant for water," according to Monica Perales.

[39] "General clean up" of the area included a "majority of the houses and buildings condemned and destroyed," according to the El Paso Herald-Post in 1964.

[40] In the 1970s and 1980s, Chihuahuita was a "hot spot" for selling and buying heroin and the trade was run by Gilberto Ontiveros, also known as El Greñas.

[44] In 1993, Chief Agent Silvestre Reyes implemented "Operation Blockade," which increased the number of Border Patrol officers in the area.

[25] Census records for 1910 showed that nearly half of all school-aged children in El Paso lived in the Chihuahuita district.

[56] Chihuahuita Recreation Center on Charles Street offers sports and summer camps for youth.