Smeltertown: A Community Lost to Time along the U.S.-Mexico Border

In the late 1880s in El Paso, Texas, the establishment of a copper and lead smelter on the Rio Grande later brought about the rise of a community called Smeltertown. This community of workers, families, and Mexican nationals from across the border established a thriving community. Located on the Rio Grande at the convergence of Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico, this site was instrumental in its location as a demarcation of Mexican and U.S. history. From 2017 to present, reconstruction of the American Canal on the western edge of Smeltertown has unearthed features, artifacts, and foundations.
This presentation shows how Smeltertown was a thriving community until leveled in 1972 due to lead contamination in Smeltertown and environs. It examines the artifacts that comprise culture from both sides of the border and predicts what will be found, as Smeltertown is still there-buried, even if the people are not.
Learn more about the topic at:
Society for Historical Archaeology-Historic Bottles (sha.org/bottle)
This video is part of the Texas Historical Commission's Texas Archeology Month 2020 Virtual Symposium. View other presentations in the series on playlists organized by region on our RUclips channel.