History Through El Paso: The Story of Geronimo On September 9, 1886, the most feared name in the Southwest rolled through El Paso aboard a Southern Pacific train: Geronimo. For decades, this Chiricahua Apache leader had defied both the United States and Mexico, earning a legendary reputation as the last great Apache warrior. Born in 1829 near the Gila River, Geronimo was not a chief by election, but a medicine man, spiritual leader, and fearless fighter. Settlers and soldiers believed he could n