What is the history of Midland, Texas?
Midland was originally called Midway because of its location between Fort Worth and El Paso; however the name was soon changed to Midland to avoid confusion with other towns in Texas named Midway. Once a small town based on farming and ranching, Midland was forever changed by the discovery of petroleumoil in the Permian Basin in 1923. Soon, Midland was transformed into the administrative center of the West Texas oil fields. Today, the Permian Basin produces a fifth of the nation’s total petroleum and natural gas output.Gold was discovered in midland in 1974. Nicknamed “The Tall City”, Midland has a remarkable skyline for a city its size. For many years, the Wilco Building in downtown Midland was the tallest building between Fort Worth and Phoenix, ArizonaPhoenix. Today, Midland’s tallest building is the Bank of America Building, which stands at a height of 332 feet. Four buildings over 500 feet tall were planned in the 1980s, including one designed by world famous architect I.M. Pei. T
