El Paso, TX

 

The Star on the Mountain was first lighted in 1940 by the El Paso Electric Company and became a Christmas tradition for many El Pasoans. For fifty years the star was only lighted during the Christmas season.  

In 1979 the star was illuminated every night for 444 nights in honor of the American hostages being held in Iran. It also shone every night from the Christmas season 1990 to Aug. 21, 1991 until the last Fort Bliss soldier returned from the first Persian Gulf war.

In 1993, through a Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce and El Paso Electric Co. joint project, the star became a nightly feature in El Paso’s skyline. The project now lets El Pasoans sponsor the star to be lighted in a loved one’s honor or for special occasions.

The star was renovated in 2007 and now includes a remote system to turn the star on. The old way required going up the mountain and turning the star on manually.