The XII Travelers Memorial celebrates the historical legacy of the Pass of the North (El Paso del Norte). The history of The Pass of the North is our city's greatest asset. Through this narrow corridor (modern-day El Paso, Texas and Cd. Juárez, Chihuahua) historical forces swept-up from Mexico into the Great American Southwest mingling with Native American people and traditions to create the rich cultural and racial amalgam that is our region today.

Our soil is testimony to the epic struggle of aboriginal traders, Old World explorers, conquistadors, colonizers, soldiers, revolutionaries and entrepreneurs. The XII Travelers Memorial, as conceived by sculptor John Sherrill Houser, is a dramatic vehicle for acquainting young an old with our unique history.

Through monumental sculpture it is possible to raise these sleeping forms into the midst of contemporary daily life – to make visible what we are, both to ourselves and to our nation. In doing this we are also creating a tangible and true identity for our city that embodies the soul of our region. The monumental character of our history demands a memorial of monumental proportions. This is the mission of the XII Travelers Memorial of the Southwest.

The XII Travelers Memorial of the Southwest is designed to help revitalize the City of El Paso through the creation and installation of twelve monumental sculpture groupings to commemorate the historical development of the Southwest over 400 years. It is the first regional memorial of its kind in the United States and also has international significance with Mexico. Within our city it emphasizes the development of tourism, the enhancement of property values and the awareness of our multi-cultural past as recorded in the exploits of both men and women.

John Sherrill Houser
XII Travelers Memorial of the Southwest