Special to the El Paso Herald Post
EL PASO, Tx., July 13, 2026: One of Segundo Barrio’s unsung heroes, Elvira “Vila” Villa Escajeda (1920-2022) (formerly known as Lacarra), will be honored on Saturday. The commemoration is organized by the El Paso County Historical Commission and the Chamizal Alliance, a local group dedicated to honoring the memory of South El Paso residents impacted by the Chamizal Treaty of 1964.
On Saturday, July 18th, the unveiling of a historical marker in honor Doña Elvira will be held at the intersection of Park Street and Olivas V. Aoy in Segundo Barrio, along the Paseo de los Heroes, “Boulevard of Heroes.”
Born and raised in Segundo Barrio, Escajeda lived a full life as a seamstress and businesswoman before she learned, in 1963, that she and her family would soon be displaced from their Segundo Barrio homes by the Chamizal Treaty. The treaty settled the Chamizal Dispute (1864-1964): an international land and boundary conflict over an area called “El Chamizal” between the historic downtowns of El Paso, Texas, and Cd. Juárez, Chihuahua…