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
Midland's landscape. Over time, the community earned a variety of
nicknames--Windmill 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 (Texas's first), cattle ranching, and as the home of George
W. Bush. Midland's story is an American tale of a successful small city.