History of the 'E' | El Paso High School Alumni Museum

The Early Tradition

In the 1920–21 school year, El Paso High School students began the tradition of marking the Franklin Mountains with a bold whitewashed “E.” This became one of the earliest mountain letters in the Southwest, predating many others. Although there was initial public opposition to painting the mountains, the Tigers persisted, and by 1923, after the Miners at UTEP painted their “M,” the Tigers proudly reasserted their “E.”

The letter became an emblem of Tiger pride, visible across El Paso from the west side of the mountain. Maintaining the “E” was the responsibility of the “E” Association, a student volunteer group. Each year they shouldered heavy cans of lime and whitewash up the steep mountain to keep the symbol sharp and bright.

Legacy

For nearly 50 years, the “E” on Franklin Mountain proclaimed Tiger pride to the city of El Paso. Though it no longer burns on the mountainside, the tradition survives—transformed but never forgotten—as each new generation of El Paso High students continues to “light the E.”

The Lighted “E”

Beyond the whitewashed letter, another dramatic tradition began at R. R. Jones Stadium. On nights when the Tigers defended their home field, the chant “See, see, see, the E!” announced that the “E” on the mountain had been lit.

This wasn’t electric lighting, but rather dozens of oil cans filled with sawdust and kerosene, placed in the shape of the “E.” When ignited, the flickering flames glowed orange against the dark mountain—a fiery proclamation of Tiger spirit that could be seen across the city.

The Decline of the Mountain “E”

By the 1970s, the mountain “E” began to fade away. A combination of city beautification ordinances, school district restrictions, and safety concerns over climbing the mountain with gallons of whitewash or kerosene ended the tradition. Though many mourned the loss, the risks and regulations made the old rituals impossible to continue.

The 2015 “C” and the Return of an “E”

In the spring of 2015, a crude “C” suddenly appeared on the mountainside near the site of the old “E.” Many assumed Cathedral High School students were behind it—especially since it appeared right before the Cathedral Senior Prom.

Within days, however, the “C” was reshaped into an “E.” The landowner, himself a Cathedral alumnus with close family ties to El Paso High, later admitted privately that he had directed his employees to transform the “C” into an “E” to honor the original tradition.

Other School Letters on the Franklins

Austin High’s “A” still survives on the east side of the mountain, thanks to a variance obtained by the property owner.

Irvin’s “I” is also still visible.

UTEP’s “M” and NMSU’s “A” have their own long histories, but El Paso High is credited as the originator of the mountain letter tradition in the region.

Modern Tradition: Eve of the “E”

Although the mountain letter is gone, El Paso High has reimagined the tradition with the Eve of the “E” Ceremony during Homecoming week.

Instead of kerosene cans, seniors design a large “E” on the field of R. R. Jones Stadium using luminarias with battery-powered tea lights. Each class tries to outdo the creativity of the one before, carrying forward the spirit of the old “E” Association.

History of the letters on Franklin Mountain