Odessa Chamber of Commerce

The Permian Basin, home to Odessa and a number of nearby cities, is approx. 250 miles and 300 miles wide. The basin was formed during the Permian Period, the final portion of the Paleozoic Period (approx. 280 million years ago). At one time, the basin was an ocean filled with marine life and plants. As the ocean dried up, the decaying plants and animals eventually helped form the gigantic pools of oil and gas that are still being taken from the basin. Located in a region where the Comanche Indians once roamed, Odessa’s history as a settlement can be traced to the 1881 extension of the Texas and Pacific Railway across the south plains, and the need to provide water for the steam engines. The availability of cheap land encouraged settlers to the area in the period form 1879 to 1885. The first ranchers arrived in 1885, but it was the railroad that made Odessa vital to the cattle industry. By the mid 1890’s Odessa was an established cattle shipping center. When oil was discovered in the area in 1926, the destiny of the community took a different course. This discovery brought people of varied interests and occupations to the area, and the local economy began to change from a ranching base into an industrial one. After the oil boom of 1927, it became obvious that the new oil fields would need equipment and support services. Since Odessa was the closest point to the fields by railroad, it soon became the service, work force, transportation, supply and manufacturing center of the Permian Basin. It remains so today and is considered one of the major oil field technology centers through out the world. Upcoming Chamber Events On-Line Chamber Journals Your browser does not support inline frames or is currently configured not to display inline frames. Published by the Odessa Chamber of Commerce Copyright © 2002 Odessa Chamber of Commerce. All rights reserved. Refer comments to webmaster. [mailto:comspec@odessachamber.com]