Prehistoric Jornada Mogollón peoples[4] were practicing agriculture in the Rio Grande floodplain circa 900–1350 AD.

In 1849, John Salmon "RIP" Ford[9] explored the area between San Antonio and El Paso noting in his mapped report the productive land upon which the Mescalero Indians farmed.

By the mid-17th century the Mescaleros expanded their territory to the Plains Navajos and Pueblos from the Guadalupes, and El Paso del Norte.

In January 1870, a group of soldiers attacked a Mescalero Apache village near Delaware Creek in the Guadalupe Mountains.

In July 1880, soldiers at Tinaja de las Palmas attacked a group of Mescaleros led by Chief Victorio.

[11] Two weeks later, Apaches killed seven buffalo soldier,[12] members of the famous black Tenth United States Cavalry.

Lt. Francis Theodore Bryan[14] camped at Guadalupe Pass while exploring a route from San Antonio to El Paso via Fredericksburg.

In July 1848, Secretary of War William L. Marcy wanted a military post established on the north side of the Rio Grande.

Bartlett declared the Guadalupe Mountains dark and gloomy, and proposed a transcontinental railroad be built south of the peaks.

Texas Commissioner Robert Simpson Neighbors[19] was sent by Governor Peter Hansborough Bell in 1850 to organize El Paso.

These mail coaches provided a means for travelers to reach California in 27 days, if the passenger had the $200 for a one-way fare and was courageous enough to withstand the weather and dangers en route.

Men from San Elizario and the other villages along the Rio Grande near El Paso had become dependent on the salt trade[22] for their livelihoods.

[27] In recent times, Hudspeth County has become notorious as a location for frequent drug arrests for individuals traveling east on Interstate 10 from El Paso, due to the presence of a US Border Patrol checkpoint.

Several celebrities, including touring musicians Willie Nelson, Snoop Dogg, and Fiona Apple, and actor Armie Hammer have been arrested on drug charges at this location.

The Fort Hancock Independent School District, based in Fort Hancock, covers the western part of the county, along the El Paso County line from the Mexican border to the New Mexico state line.