Commercial oil production began in Victoria County in 1930

Commercial oil and gas production began in Victoria County in 1930 at the McFaddin field. Growth was slow at first because of the Great Depression. By 2004, the Handbook of Texas reported that total oil production from the county had reached about 3.3 billion barrels.

There is an interesting backstory. In the late 1800s, ranchers hit oil while drilling for water. They saw it as a nuisance because it ruined grazing land. That view changed over time.

After World War II, petrochemical plants moved into the area. The Victoria Barge Canal was finished in 1967. It connected the region to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and helped grow the industrial economy even more.