Ochiltree County, Texas

[minionofmidas]

Handbook of Texas Online: "... The population dropped from 5,224 in 1930 to 4,213 in 1940. The economy recovered during the 1940s, and the discovery of oil and gas in the southern part of the county in 1951 led to increased growth. Although oil and gas exploration had occurred in the county as early as 1912 and continued periodically through the 1920s and 1930s, the first successful major producer blew in 1955. In 1956 more than 341,500 barrels of crude oil were produced in the county, and production rapidly expanded: the county's wells produced 4,644,000 barrels in 1960, 5,212,000 barrels in 1965, 4,913,000 barrels in 1974, 2,844,000 in 1978, and 3,012,000 in 1982, and 1,716,000 barrels in 1990. By January 1, 2001, 156,388,656 barrels of oil had been produced in the county since discovery in 1951. These petroleum discoveries led to a boom in the local economy and population. The 1950 population of 6,024 jumped to 9,380 by 1960 and to 9,704 by 1970. It began to decline in the 1970s, however, as the oil boom faded: to 9,588 by 1980, to 9,128 by 1990, and to 9,006 by 2000 ..." The county first went Republican in 1928, a second time in 1952, and then at every election since.