Downtown El Paso in El Paso County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

The Villa Stash House / Casa Clandestina Villa

Photographed By James Hulse, June 14, 2024

1. The Villa Stash House / Casa Clandestina Villa Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Mexican revolutionary Francisco (Pancho) Villa and his brother Hipólito stashed the currency, coins and jewelry they used to support themselves and their political activities in this house owned by George Benton during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920). On November 9, 1915, Zachary Cobb, the U.S. Collector of Customs in El Paso, ordered a raid on Benton's home. Custom officials found $500,000 in American currency and gold coins, along with $30,000 in jewelry, in Benton's safe. Customs confiscated the valuables, but later returned them to the Villa family once ownership had been established.

Pancho Villa used El Paso to purchase military supplies, recruit soldiers, and hide out from the Mexican government. Initially, U.S. authorities maintained a friendly relationship with the Villistas, largely because both sides supported President Francisco I. Madero (1911-1913) and opposed President Victoriano Huerta (1913-1914). By 1915, however, the U.S. government wanted to stop Villa from using El Paso as a recruiting ground and war supply site against the new President Venustiano Carranza (1915-1920).

The raid on the Villa "stash

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house" signaled a turning point in the U.S. attitude toward revolutionary activity along the U.S.-Mexico border. It was one of many events that heightened tensions between Villa and the U.S., an escalation that eventually led to Villa's ill-fated attack on Columbus, New Mexico, in March 1916, and General John J. Pershing's unsuccessful "punitive expedition" into Mexico in 1916-1917.

Casa Clandestina Villa
Durante la Revolución Mexicana (1910-1920) en esta casa, propiedad de George Benton, el revolucionario mexicano Francisco (Pancho) Villa y su hermano Hipólito, escondían los billetes, monedas y joyas con los que se mantenían y financiaban sus actividades políticas. El 9 de noviembre de 1915, el recaudador fiscal de la Aduana de Estados Unidos, Zachary Cobb, ordenó un allanamiento a la casa de Benton. Los agentes aduanales encontraron en la caja fuerte $500,000 en dólares y monedas de oro además de $30,000 en joyas. El gobierno, con la certeza de que estos objetos valiosos habían sido obtenidos ilícitamente, los confiscó.

Pancho Villa usaba El Paso como su cuartel militar, residencia personal y su escondite del gobierno mexicano. Inicialmente, las autoridades de Estados Unidos mantuvieron una relación amigable con los Villistas, en gran parte porque ambos apoyaban al Presidente Francisco I. Madero (1911-1913) y se oponían al Presidente

The Villa Stash House / Casa Clandestina Villa and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, June 14, 2024

2. The Villa Stash House / Casa Clandestina Villa and Marker

Victoriano Huerta (1913-1914). Sin embargo, para 1915 el gobierne de Estados Unidos quería que Villa dejara de usar El Paso como campo de reclutamiento y lugar de suministro militar contra el nuevo Presidente Venustiano Carranza (1915-1920).

El allanamiento a la casa clandestina de Villa marcó un momento decisivo en la actitud de Estados Unidos hacia la actividad revolucionaria a lo largo de la frontera México-EE.UU. El allanamiento aumentó las tensiones entre Villa y los Estados Unidos, una intensificación que eventualmente llevó a Villa en marzo de 1916 al malhadado asalto a Columbus, Nuevo México y al General John J. Pershing a la fallida expedición punible en México en 1916-1917.

Erected by El Paso County Historical Commission.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Military • Notable Buildings. A significant historical date for this entry is November 9, 1915.

Location. 31° 45.302′ N, 106° 29.495′ W. Marker is in El Paso, Texas, in El Paso County. It is in Downtown El Paso. Marker is on Leon Street south of West Overland Street, on the right when traveling south. The marker is located in front of the house along the sidewalk. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 331 Leon St, El Paso TX 79901, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. El Paso & Southwestern Railroad (about 600 feet away, measured

General Francisco Villa image. Click for full size.

Public Domain - D.W. Hoffman, an El Paso photographer - J. Paul Getty Museum, circa 1912

3. General Francisco Villa

General Francisco Villa on horseback, by Hoffmann. General Francisco (Pancho) Villa, D. W. Hoffman, ca. 1912. Gelatin silver photographic postcard. Getty Research Institute, 89.R.46

in a direct line); La Patria Newspaper (approx. 0.2 miles away); Stage Station (approx. 0.2 miles away); Bataan Memorial Trainway (approx. 0.2 miles away); Montgomery Building (approx. ¼ mile away); Hotel Paso Del Norte (approx. ¼ mile away); A City Is Born (approx. ¼ mile away); Pioneer Plaza (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in El Paso.

Also see . . . Pancho Villa. Wikipedia

Francisco "Pancho" Villa (born José Doroteo Arango Arámbula; 5 June 1878 – 20 July 1923) was a Mexican revolutionary and general in the Mexican Revolution. He was a key figure in the revolutionary movement that forced out President Porfirio Díaz and brought Francisco I. Madero to power in 1911. When Madero was ousted by a coup led by General Victoriano Huerta in February 1913, Villa joined the anti-Huerta forces in the Constitutionalist Army led by Venustiano Carranza. After the defeat and exile of Huerta in July 1914, Villa broke with Carranza. Villa dominated the meeting of revolutionary generals that excluded Carranza and helped create a coalition
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government. Emiliano Zapata and Villa became formal allies in this period. Like Zapata, Villa was strongly in favor of land reform, but did not implement it when he had power. At the height of his power and popularity in late 1914 and early 1915, the U.S. considered recognizing Villa as Mexico's legitimate authority.

(Submitted on June 19, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 20, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 18, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 51 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 19, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.