Ector County Is Named for a Confederate General and Texas Judge

The Texas Legislature created Ector County in 1887. The county was formally organized in 1891. Odessa became the county seat. The county is named for Mathew D. Ector. He was a Confederate general during the Civil War. He later served as a judge on the Texas Court of Appeals.

The Texas and Pacific Railway reached the area in 1881. Settlers followed the railroad. Cattle ranching, especially Hereford breeds, was the main business for decades. By 1910, the county had nearly 24,000 head of cattle. Oil was not discovered until 1926, and that changed everything.