A history of Midland, Texas

"When the Midland Sentinel, a predecessor to the Midland Daily News, opened its door 150 years ago, Midland County had a booming lumber industry. But soon that lumber industry would fade and the city's future and growth would become dependent on a new industry that today is known as The Dow Chemical Co. As you open the pages of this book, you will see pictures from the those early days of Midland County. And you will see local history unfold as our book progresses through the decades right up to the present . We hope you are reminded that today is just another part of that history, a part you have a role in. Enjoy the moment." - back cover.

On the southern edge of the vast Llano Estacado, Midland began as a midpoint along the Texas and Pacific Railway. From its earliest days, entrepreneurs like the Scharbauers and Henry Halff built a city based upon their dreams. Land speculators, ranchers, farmers, financiers, oilmen, investors, and engineers each placed their own unique brands on Midlands landscape. Over time, the community earned a variety of nicknamesWindmill Town, Land of the High Sky, and Tall City, among them. Although seemingly remote, Midland has regularly gained attention at the state, national, and even international level in areas as diverse as airplanes (Texass first), cattle ranching, and as the home of George W. Bush. Midlands story is an American tale of a successful small city.