Book Review-Spirits of the Border: The History and Mystery of El Paso del Norte

 By Aaron Perez

Published 4/7/2025

Image Credit: Ken Hudnall and Connie Wang, Link to where you can purchase the book can be found here.


    When one thinks of El Paso, Texas, what comes to mind is Chico's Tacos, the Star on the Mountain, and its desert environment. Another notable association that El Paso has is the paranormal, thanks to its various haunted locations. There are so many haunted places in the city, that thanks to the authors Ken Hudnall and Connie Wang, they are now well documented in a book series named Spirits of the Border. The first volume of the series, The History and Mystery of El Paso del Norte, gives a summary on strange events that have happened in the city and cryptids that may inhabit in its borders. The book also goes into detail on the haunting within the infamous El Paso High School and its tunnels. It also the history and a gives a list on which areas in the city have strange phenomena. It also documents a version of La Llorona that is said to haunt the property that used to be La Hacienda. It also mentions a pg version of El Paso's more well known Llorona that has a horseface, with the narrator surviving the encounter but finding a black box. 

    Despite being the first volume in its series, this book manages to document a lot of history in El Paso. It documents strange newspaper articles and Ken Hudnall gives interviews to key witnesses that have observed unexplained phenomena. Apart from key witnesses, Hudnall also documents urban legends, particularly that about Lost Padre Mine. For those who don't know, Lost Padre Mine is a mythical mine that is said to exist in the Franklin Mountains. It's location is said to have only been known to colonial Spanish monks who would use the old Juarez cathedral to mark its location. According to the book, these mines are said to have been located by ammeture treasure hunters, only to remain lost after failing to pinpoint the exact location. 

    Despite being dated, this book serves as an entryb point for the entire seires and if one is writing aboput the paranormal, it is an important source material. Granted, it is a bit dated by a few decades, since a lot can change in such a span of time, one being the fire that destroyed the infamous De Soto hotel and how some schools in the book no longer exist as they were at the time of its publishing. Despite its limitations due to being published in 2002, thie book series is able to give a lot of information that otherwise would not have been throughly documented. It also serves as the entry point to a great series overall and a perfect addition to those who like to collect spooky books.

Rating: 8/10

Link to purchase the Book: https://www.amazon.com/Spirits-Border-History-Mystery-Norte/dp/0962608785?crid=1FJNV5X11BE7F&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Lkm0wWPkfA53Rh7qK-CKEA.edeJojTe15m38-4_9iD7X_DTMlyfCuxG7929jxWmBeE&dib_tag=se&keywords=spirits+of+the+border:+The+History+and+Mystery+of+El+Paso+del+Norte&qid=1744049646&sprefix=spirits+of+the+border+the+history+and+mystery+of+el+paso+del+norte,aps,107&sr=8-1&linkCode=ll1&tag=apere46306-20&linkId=46f7ab7fdfa5a3e874c6967312cdea10&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl



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