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Please add profiles of those who were born, lived or died in Upton County, Texas.
Native Americans were the first inhabitants of the area. Tribes present at the time of conquest included the Comanches and Apache.
One of the first routes bringing people through the area was the Chihuahua Trail connecting Mexico's state of Chihuahua with Santa Fe, New Mexico. The trail served as a trade route for nomadic tribes of Indians and Spaniards, as well as traders from both Mexico and Texas.
The Goodnight-Loving Trail served as a cattle-drive trail from 1866 to 1888. The trail began at Young County, Texas, and passed along the Pecos River to Fort Sumner, New Mexico, and into Colorado before ending in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
The county was created in 1887 and later organized in 1910. It is named for two brothers: John C. and William F. Upton, both colonels in the Confederate Army.
Wildcatter George McCamey's Baker No. 1 in September 1925 opened up the McCamey Oil Field, established the town of McCamey and brought the subsequent oil boom to Upton County. The Yates Oil Field in Crockett and Pecos Counties resulted in a financial boon for the town of Rankin, which served as a supply and service center. The resulting financial windfall benefitted infrastructure in Rankin. In 1946, Mike Benedum began wildcatting in Upton County and opened up what would become known as the Benedum Oil Field. The Weir No. 1 gushed in 1961 and enabled Upton County to continue as an outstanding Texas production area.
Adjacent Counties
Cities, Towns & Communities
- McCamey
- Midkiff
- Rankin (County)
- Upland
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