Join us for our monthly “History Notes” lecture as El Paso County Historical Society President Robert Diaz presents “Shifting River, Shifting Narrative: A History of the Chamizal Dispute” on Thursday, February 14, 2019, at 1pm at the Branigan Cultural Center.
This presentation focuses on the history of the 100-year long Chamizal dispute that took place along the U.S.-Mexico Border in El Paso between 1864 and 1964. The dispute was caused by a shift in the Rio Grande, as a survey presented in 1852 marked differences between the bed of the Rio Grande and the present channel of the river. The Chamizal—a tract of land between El Paso and Ciudad Juárez – became mired in tension and controversy as the U.S. and Mexico argued over its “rightful” owner. Caught in between were thousands of residents living in the area, many of whom were forced to relocate once U.S. and Mexican government officials settled the dispute. Today, national parks in El Paso and Mexico commemorate the conflict and resolution. In this presentation, Robert Diaz will discuss the nature of the conflict, the formation of the public parks to celebrate the Chamizal’s history, and how we should understand the U.S.-Mexico border in light of current events.
“History Notes”, monthly lectures on historical topics, takes place on the second Thursday of each month at 1 pm. Lectures are free and open to the public. Please check our webpage at http://www.museums.las-cruces.org, or Facebook.com/LCMuseums, for a full listing of these and other public programs hosted by the Branigan Cultural Center and the City of Las Cruces Museums.
Admission is free to the Branigan Cultural Center, located at 501 North Main Street. The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 4:30pm, and Saturday from 9am to 4:30pm. For addition information call (575) 541-2154.