(This story was originally written and recorded for Retrocast #28 – Podcast #226, which was released on October 2, 2024.)

A curious passerby made an unusual discovery on Friday, January 19, 1951, when a cactus was found buried beneath the concrete of North Mesa Avenue in El Paso, Texas.  It was believed that the cactus had been buried for over 45 years. The cactus, a Southwestern Yucca or Spanish Dagger, was uncovered by workmen excavating a trench for a water line at the intersection of Main Street.

As pneumatic drills cut through roots and scattered plant remnants across the trench floor, longtime El Paso resident and antique shop owner C.E. Crowson watched with growing interest. Intrigued by the sight of the cactus roots, Crowson asked the crew’s foreman, Joe Caro, to carefully extract an entire plant. Caro agreed, and after Crowson washed off the dirt, he discovered that the cactus was still green, with live roots intact. Excited by the find, Crowson invited local florist Walter O. Seaney to join him, and another cactus was dug up for him as well.

The men immediately soaked the roots and planted the cacti in damp soil, hoping to revive them. Crowson, who had lived in El Paso for 46 years, was thrilled by the discovery. His excitement was shared by local cactus expert John H. Leasure, who confirmed that the yucca could have survived as long as its roots had access to moisture. Leasure recalled keeping a cactus alive without water for four years.

In his 47 years with the Water Department, Caro said his crew had never encountered anything like the buried cactus, though many odd objects had surfaced during past digs. The concrete where the cactus was found had once been the original surface of Mesa Avenue, later covered with dirt and repaved. And it was noted that just a short time before this unusual discovery,  men working about a block away had uncovered ties from tracks used for mule cars in the early 1900s.