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Oil History Stories & local character

Oil Was Discovered in Ector County in 1926 and Changed Everything

Ector County History & Culture

Before oil, Odessa was a quiet ranching town. The W.E. Connell ranch, about sixteen miles southwest of town, produced the first oil in the county in late 1926. More fields followed quickly. Penn Field came in 1929 and Cowden Field in 1930, and the population jumped from 750 in 1925 to 5,000 by 1929.

Between 1926 and 1990, Ector County produced over 2.7 billion barrels of petroleum, ranking it second in Texas by total output. That oil history shapes everything from local property values to the booms and busts residents still live through today. The Permian Basin oil show is still held in Odessa.

Content last revised 2026-07-11

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More stories and useful context near Ector County

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Place pages in Ector County

GoldsmithOdessa

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