The Montgomery Building was built as the American El Paso, as opposed to a Mexican El Paso, underwent a great transformation from a dusty adobe village to a thriving city following the arrival of the railroad on May 13, 1881.
In 1882, just months after the Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight, William J. Montgomery (1833-1899) built this structure on a vacant lot between two buildings that were situated North and South of the property.