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 more than 111,000. 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, is said to contain 25% 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