History Of The Pancho Villa Stash House From Tricia The Tourist [PHOTOS]

There has been a lot of talk lately about the Duranguito neighborhood. Some people say they don't want anything in the area to change because it is a part of El Paso's history, and some people say that the whole place needs to be torn down and make way for a new arena because it is a rat hole that no one wants to live in, much less visit. Whatever your view on the controversial downtown arena, there are a few places that you keep hearing about, and if you don't know what they look like, check out these photos of one of the places that is in dispute.

The Pancho Villa stash house at 331 Leon Street, was used by Pancho Villa and his brother Hipolito during the Mexican Revolution between 1910-1920. It was raided in 1915, and Customs officials found half a million dollars in American currency and gold coins, as well as $30,000 in jewelry in a safe. Everything was confiscated by the U.S. government, but when ownership was established, it was returned to the Villa family.

There is a lot of history that happened in that area because in the early 1900s, El Paso was a small town. Here is a close up of the Pancho Villa stash house as it stands now:

1. Front view with historical marker:

2. Closeup of historical marker:

3. Side view: