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ODESSA, TEXAS
Ector County Seat,
West Texas
31° 51' 48" N, 102° 21' 56" W (31.863333, -102.365556)
I-20, Hwy 385 and 302
20 miles W of Midland
60 miles W of Big
Spring
321 miles W of Fort
Worth
280 miles E of El Paso
ZIP Codes 79760–79769
Area code 432
Population: 123,334 Est. (2019)
99,940 (2010) 90,943 (2000) 89,699 (1990)
Book Hotels Here › Odessa
Hotels |
History in
a Pecan Shell
The name supposedly
comes from railroad workers who claimed it reminded them of the Odessa
region in the south of Russia. (See Naming
of Odessa below.) The name did spring up at the same time the
Texas and Pacific tracks were set down in July of 1881. Odessa got
a post office in 1885 - a year before the town was platted. It was
officially organized in 1891, but they didn't get around to incorporating
until 1927.
The population was only 750 in 1925, but after oil was discovered
in 1926, the population shot up to 5,000 by 1929. During WWII
the increased need for oil swelled the population to 10,000. |
Historical
Marker:
Odessa
After the Texas
and Pacific Railway extended its line to the South Plains of Texas
in 1881, the Odessa Land and Townsite Company of Zanesville, Ohio,
began promotional efforts to attract settlers to its property along
the rail line. Regular excursion trains brought many settlers to the
area, including Charles and Lucy White, who came with their family
from Indiana and helped transform this area from prairie to city.
Their 1887 home serves as a museum today, a reminder of Odessa's early
development. Odessa's first post office opened in 1885. The town was
platted the following year and became county seat when Ector
County was formally organized in 1891. The first elected county
commissioners were M.G. Buchanan, J.W. Driven, James Bolton and J.L.
Gray.
Located in the Permian Basin, in the midst of great oil and natural
gas reserves, Odessa was a small farming and ranching town until oil
was discovered on the W.E. Connell Ranch (16 mi. SW) in 1926. Growth
was rapid, and the city was incorporated the following year, with
S.R. McKinney as first mayor. By 1930, Odessa was an established oil
center and after World
War II, it became a major distribution and processing point in
the petrochemical industry.
The city of Odessa serves as a vital trading center for this part
of Texas and boasts civic, cultural and educational opportunities
for citizens and visitors alike. With its roots in cattle
and oil, the community is an important reflection of Texas history
and heritage. |
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The 1959 Phillips
66 Gas Station in Odessa
Jimmy
Dobson Photo, June 2017 |
Odessa 1940s
Kimbroughs Service Station
Jimmy
Dobson Photo, June 2017 |
Odessa 1941 Greyhound
Bus Station
Jimmy
Dobson Photo, June 2017 |
Odessa Texas
Oil Field Mural detail
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, December 2009 |
Odessa Texas
Oil Field Mural detail
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, December 2009 |
Odessa Texas
Oil Field Mural detail
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, December 2009 |
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"'Black
Gold'
One of the many oil gushers of the rich Odessa oil fields"
Postcard
courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/ |
Odessa postcard
showing watertower, courthouse, airport, high school and gusher
Postcard courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/ |
Odessa, Texas
Forum
Subject:
Naming of Odessa
Dear TE, A previous writer convinced you to change the "History
in a Pecan Shell" to read as follows: "The name supposedly comes
from railroad workers who claimed it reminded them of the Odessa
region in Ukraine." This statement is historically incorrect. Throughout
the 19th century, Odessa was a city in the Russian Empire. In fact,
territory which includes present-day Odessa was won in the Russo-Turkish
War of 1787-1792 by Russian forces on September 25th, 1789 and Empress
of Russia, Catherine the Great named Odessa - the city being built
on top of the ruins of the Turkic fortress - on January 10, 1795.
From its founding and until the Soviet revolution of 1917, Odessa
was certainly not in Ukraine, which did not even exist independently
at that point anyway. After the revolution there was much turbulence
on the territory comprising present-day Ukraine and control of Odessa
changed hands several times until on December 30th, 1922, Ukrainian
Soviet Socialist Republic officially joined the Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics. Odessa was included in this Ukrainian Republic,
but this republic was not at all independent! On August 24th, 1991,
Ukraine proclaimed independence and a constitution came five years
after that. Thus, to claim that Odessa region was in Ukraine at
anytime prior to 1917 is a mistake. Even asserting such claims for
the time period between 1917 and 1996 is on very shaky grounds.
After 1996, Odessa is certainly a city in Ukraine. Please consider
revising your statement again to the following historically accurate
one: "The name supposedly comes from railroad workers who claimed
it reminded them of the Odessa region in the south of Russia." -
Sincerely, Jake Berzon, Odessa Page newspaper, http://Odessa.OdessaPage.Com,
May 18, 2007
Subject:
The Name Odessa
Quote from your site "The name supposedly comes from railroad workers
who claimed it reminded them of the Odessa region in Ukraine. ..."
In its turn the name of Ukrainian Odessa (established in 1794) has
such a story: When the seaport was planned, Russian Empress Catherine
II the Great said - it should be named in Hellenic style and feminine.
While ancient Hellenic settlement Odessos situated nearby - its
name was taken as the base and transformed into Odessa ("Odess"
Hellenic part + "a" feminine end in Ukrainian and Russian) - the
name of your Texas town and of my city - The Black Sea Pearl :)
- Sincerely yours, Eugene, Odessa, Ukraine, August 09, 2005
Subject:
Odessa Texas History
Original Odessa is NOT in Russia!!!!!!! Original Odessa is
a wonderful city on the Black Sea and belong to the UKRAINE,
that is very principal. I would appreciate if you could change "Russia"
on "Ukraine" in historical description of Odessa in Texas. Thank
you in advance. - Yours Faithfully, S Preobrajensky, September 23,
2004
Subject:
Post Office Mural
Please try to include a picture of the mural in the Odessa post
office. It's said to be the best of all the p.o. murals. I believe
the name is "Stampede".
- Larry Gaultney, October 19, 2005
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Ector
County 1940s map
From Texas state map #4335
Courtesy
Texas General Land Office |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories
and recent or vintage/historic photos, please contact
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