Bobcat Hills
McCamey, Upton County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Named for dens of lynx (bobcats) found her 1919 by a University of Texas geology team mapping the resources of the county. These hills, cretaceous formations, are part of an uplift in the southern Permian Basin. Associated with this uplift are the oil fields of the county. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1967,
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1919 a University of Texas geology team mapping Upton County's resources came upon these cretaceous hills and named them for the bobcat dens they found among the rocks. The formations mark an uplift on the southern edge of the Permian Basin — the same geologic structure that cradles the county's productive oil fields. The landmark ties the region's deep natural history to the petroleum wealth that would define West Texas.
Why it matters
It captures the moment scientific mapping of the Permian Basin met the oil economy that transformed twentieth-century Texas.
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Themes & tags
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