How El Paso's Fusselman Canyon came by its name We are all familiar with Trans Mountain Road, just as we are all familiar with the name Texas Rangers. And in one respect, both go together, for prior to the construction of the highway, this area was simply a canyon. And for a long time -- one might say for ages -- the canyon had no name. But that commenced changing back in 1890. During those days, a Texas Ranger company was stationed in Ysleta, that town being the El Paso county seat. And one of those Rangers was a 24-year-old Wisconsin-born lad named Charles Fusselman. In 1888, as a Ranger private, he had shot it out with a local outlaw, and the following year was promoted to sergeant and transferred to Presidio. Still, he was often present in El Paso because it had the only West Texas district court. In April 1890, Fusselman happened to be in the El Paso County Sheriff's office chatting with a couple of deputies and a city policeman when they were interrupted by John Barnes, a local rancher living near what used to be Mundy Springs. The rancher claimed that outlaws Geronimo Parra and three additional bandits from Mexico had stolen his cattle. Barnes had trailed them to near the entrance of the Franklin Mountains' present-day Fusselman Canyon (where present-day Trans-Mountain Road peaks out), before he (Barnes) pealed off and rode hastily into town to notify authorities....