Main articles: Mogollon culture and Tlaloc Archeological evidence at the Keystone Wetlands and Hueco Tanks sites indicates thousands of years of human settlement within the El Paso region. A hueco is a Spanish term for a hollowed out cavity for holding water, or for pounding maize.
The inhabitants during this era were maize farmers. These people ultimately became assimilated into the local settler population, becoming part of the Mestizo culture that is prevalent in Mexico and is visible throughout the Southwest. Others integrated themselves with the different Mescalero Apache bands that for many years roamed the region.
Agriculture flourished thanks to the complex irrigation system built by the Spanish and Indians, including a massive earthen dam. Vineyards and fruits constituted the bulk of the regional production. The Spanish Crown and the local authorities of El Paso del Norte had made several land concessions to bring agricultural production to the northern bank of the river in present-day El Paso, like the Bracito Grant.
However, the Apaches dissuaded production and settlers to cross the river. The water provided a natural defense against them. The eighteenth century witnessed the area's rapid growth, giving the district a population of over 5, El Paso remained largely undeveloped during most of the period of Spanish control. However, the Spanish crown and the local authorities of El Paso del Norte had made several land concessions to bring agricultural production to the northern bank of the river in present-day El Paso, frequent Indian raids and warfare overwhelmed any attempts.
As a result, the Rio Grande proved to be a boundary line of actual Hispanic presence. Texas Historical Marker for Capt. James W. Magoffin β Texas Historical Marker for Maj. Few foreign travelers, outside of Spanish merchants and officials, ventured that far north. It took six months for a trading caravan to reach Mexico City.
