HISTORY OF MIDLAND, TEXAS
In 1880, the Texas Pacific Railroad began to lay tracks
westward from Fort Worth at about the same time that the
Southern Pacific began building east from El Paso. The place
where the tracks met became known as Midway. Later, the
name was changed to Midland when it was discovered that
there was another Texas town by the same name.
Prior to World War I, Midland was a prosperous railroad
town serving the surrounding ranching community. However,
on May 27, 1923, the future of Midland would change with
the discovery of oil. At 6:00 a.m., just 70 miles southeast
of Midland, the Santa Rita No. 1 blew, changing the history
of Midland, Texas.
Today, Midland is a thriving community of 100,000. Although
petroleum products are still the economic mainstays, the
community has a stable, multi-faceted economy. The Permian
Basin, of which Midland is the geographic center, contains
22% of the nation's oil reserves.
NOTABLE RESIDENTS - PAST AND PRESENT
- President George W. Bush & First Lady Laura Bush
- President and Mrs. George H.W. Bush
- General Tommy Franks
- Secretary of Commerce Don Evans
- Speaker of the House Tom Craddick
- Everybody's Baby Jessica McClure
- Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams
- Oil Industry Executive Clayton Williams
- Historian, rancher and political activist Evetts
Haley
Sports Figures:
- NASCAR driver Bobby Hillin
- MLB Oakland A's baseball player Randy Velarde
- NBA Basketball star Spud Webb
- Kentucky Derby Winner Alysheba
- LPGA all-time money winner Judy Rankin
- Former Kansas City Chief football player E.J. Holub
- MLB NY Yankees pitcher Mike Stanton
- MLB St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Mike Timlin
- Racecar designer Jim Hall
- Football standout Cedric Benson
- Legendary golfer Tom Kite
- Wrestler Wahoo McDaniel
Actors:
- Tommy Lee Jones - Movies/TV
- Woody Harrelson - Movies/TV/Stage
- David Wende - Movies/Stage
- Ashley Wood - TV/Stage/Commercials
- Matt Mabe - Stage/Canadian TV
Producers:
- Ronnie Clemmer - TV movies
- Randy Cordray - "Coach" and "Still
Standing"
- Fuller French - "Planet of the Apes"
- Joe McSpadden - Documentaries
- Larry L. King - "Best Little Whorehouse in
Texas"
Writers:
- Doug McGrath - Writer/Director Emma
- Terry Wagner - screenwriter "Fried Green
Tomatoes"
- Kell Cahoon - writer for Comedy Central
- Pat Doughtry - writer for Disney Studio
Opera Singers:
- Susan Graham - mezzo: The Met, La Scala, Covent
Garden, Santa Fe, Paris Opera, San Francisco Opera,
Chicago, Houston
- Edward Pleasant - baritone: New York City Opera
- Luretta Bybee - soprano: Houston Opera, Chicago
Opera
- Frederick Green - tenor: Salsburg and European Opera
Houses
- Joneva Kalan - soprano: Europe
TV Personality Host - Forrest Elliot (Elliot
Gould) of A&E
Sound and Technical Support - Bill Womack, Vice
President of Engineering and Technical Operations of Point
360
Costume/Set Designer for Opera & Musical Theatre -
Susan Benson
Composer/Conductor - Randall Bass
Country Western Music - Casey Lee Green, composer
and singer
Visual Artists:
- Tom Ryan
- Woody Gynn
- Warren Taylor
- Betty Lynch
- Mary Rasmussan
- Doris Spires
- Charles Pruitt
- Don Parks
- Mary Griffin
- Nancy Lee Stewart
- Charles Stewart
- Charlotte Seay
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