605 S. OREGON STREET- PABLO BARAY APARTMENTS
605 S. OREGON STREET- PABLO BARAY APARTMENTS
The Pablo Baray Apartments played a significant role in the early journalistic, writing, and newspaper production for El Paso and Northern Mexico, during the early 20th century. The apartments were constructed in 1910 and mainly served as a location where writers lived and worked. Most notably was Mariano Azuela, a former doctor who was a part of Pancho Villa’s forces. While living at 605 South Oregon, Azuela wrote his renowned novel, Los de Abajo, in which he depicted the Mexican Revolution. It is unknown if Azuela lived in the apartments; however, it is listed that the building’s manager Juana Gamiochipi paid him $3 a week to write his novel, hinting that he most likely lived here.
About four years later, 605 S. Oregon became the primary headquarters of the El Paso Del Norte newspaper. The newspaper headquarters served as an important location for Mexican journalists and writers to carry out their opinions and propaganda against the Porfirio regime. Fernando Gamiochipi, the newspaper’s primary editor, helped many Mexican revolutionary exiles not only voice their opinions about the Mexican dictatorship but also gave them a place to stay. In 1921, the building was bought by prominent real estate entrepreneur, Pablo Baray, who was also the former mayor of Chihuahua City. Baray owned other buildings throughout El Paso, including the Denver Hotel and office buildings on the corner of South Oregon and Paisano. The Pablo Baray Apartments was the most notable building he owned, and his name is even engraved on the front top of 605 S. Oregon.
Throughout the late 1920s and into the 1960s the Pablo Baray Apartments functioned as apartment rooms and printing shops. During the late 1920s, Enrique Perez-Ruhl, a former Villista colonel, ran a print shop at this location alongside his brother, Julio. Perez-Ruhl was also a writer for the El Paso Del Norte newspaper and helped organize readings that Mariano Azuela used for Los de Abajo. Later, in the 1930s, the Pablo Baray Apartments were home to the Praga Printers and they operated out of apartment rooms. 605 S. Oregon played a tremendous role in El Paso’s early 20th-century literary, newspaper, and propaganda writings concerning the Mexican Revolution.
The Pablo Baray Apartments played a significant role in the early journalistic, writing, and newspaper production for El Paso and Northern Mexico, during the early 20th century. The apartments were constructed in 1910 and mainly served as a location where writers lived and worked. Most notably was Mariano Azuela, a former doctor who was a part of Pancho Villa’s forces. While living at 605 South Oregon, Azuela wrote his renowned novel, Los de Abajo, in which he depicted the Mexican Revolution. It is unknown if Azuela lived in the apartments; however, it is listed that the building’s manager Juana Gamiochipi paid him $3 a week to write his novel, hinting that he most likely lived here.
About four years later, 605 S. Oregon became the primary headquarters of the El Paso Del Norte newspaper. The newspaper headquarters served as an important location for Mexican journalists and writers to carry out their opinions and propaganda against the Porfirio regime. Fernando Gamiochipi, the newspaper’s primary editor, helped many Mexican revolutionary exiles not only voice their opinions about the Mexican dictatorship but also gave them a place to stay.
In 1921, the building was bought by prominent real estate entrepreneur, Pablo Baray, who was also the former mayor of Chihuahua City. Baray owned other buildings throughout El Paso, including the Denver Hotel and office buildings on the corner of South Oregon and Paisano. The Pablo Baray Apartments was the most notable building he owned, and his name is even engraved on the front top of 605 S. Oregon.
Throughout the late 1920s and into the 1960’s the Pablo Baray Apartments functioned as apartment rooms and printing shops. During the late 1920s, Enrique Perez-Ruhl, a former Villista colonel, ran a print shop at this location alongside his brother, Julio. Perez-Ruhl was also a writer for the El Paso Del Norte newspaper and helped organize readings that Mariano Azuela used for Los de Abajo. Later, in the 1930s, the Pablo Baray Apartments were home to the Praga Printers and they operated out of apartment rooms. 605 S. Oregon played a tremendous role in El Paso’s early 20th-century literary, newspaper, and propaganda writings concerning the Mexican Revolution.
References:
El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.), 29 Aug. 1914. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88084272/1914-08-29/ed-1/seq-42/>
Leal, L. Mariano Azuela. Photograph. Guadalajara, Mexico, 1899. Twayne Publishers.
Romo, David Dorado. Working paper. Urban History Project: Mapping South Oregon Street, El Paso, Texas. El Paso, Texas: Student Papers, 2009.
The History of a Street: South Oregon. Institute of Oral History, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru4HTAqGS9A.
Stone, Mark. “Mariano Azuela, Pablo Baray and the El Paso Del Norte Newspaper: The 1914 Pablo Baray Apartments.” Facebook.com/TrostSociety (blog). The Trost Society, February 19, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/TrostSociety/posts/mariano-azuela-pablo-baray-and-the-el-paso-del-norte-newspaper-the-1914-pablo-ba/2692778477506868/.
City Directory Advertisement for Pablo Baray. Facebook.com/TrostScoiety. El Paso City Directory, February 19, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=2692772660840783&set=pcb.2692778477506868.
Stone, Mark. Pablo Baray Apartments. Photograph. El Paso, Texas, 2020. The Trost Society.