Penwell, Ector County
The discovery of Oil in Ector County December 28, 1926, marked the beginning of a new economic era for this region. The first Well, " J.S. Cosden No.1-A W.E. Connell ", was named for the driller and owner of land. Its meager initial output of 38 barrels per day did not cause much excitement, but experts insisted that vast oil deposits lay under area (permian basin). In 1929, Robert Penn's Gusher catapulted Odessa to boom-town fame. Oil has sustained the area economy since then, although the discovery Well was pugged and abandoned in 1940. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1967.