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ODESSA,
TEXASEctor County
Seat, West Texas
I-20, Hwy 385 and 302
20 miles W of Midland
60 miles W of Big Spring
Population: 90,943 (2000) |
Odessa,
Texas - History in a Pecan ShellThe
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. |
 |
Odessa,
Texas Landmarks / Attractions Ector
County Courthouse next page
The building constructed
in 1964 is built around the 1938 courthouse.
Odessa
Meteor Crater: I-20 (West) Exit FM 1936
Parker
House Museum: 1118 Maple Street
Presidential
Museum: 622 Lee Street
White-Pool
House c.1887 112 E. Murphy Street
American
Airpower Heritage Museum and Commemorative Air Force Headquarters: At Midland
International AirportEctor
Theatre next pageGlobe
Theatre
next pageThe
Jack Rabbit Statue
- 802 N. Sam Houston next page"Stampede"
- Painted by Tom Lea for Odessa's 1940 Post Office, it was moved in 1970. The
mural weighs 700 lbs. and measures 5' 7" by 16' 9". It currently hangs in the
Post Office on 200 North Texas Avenue. next pageOdessa
Oil Field Mural
Odessa Hotels
Book Hotel |
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 |
Odessa
Texas Oil Field Mural
detail
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, December 2009
More Texas Murals |
| "'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 OdessaDear
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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