Col-Tex Refinery
Colorado City, Mitchell County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1924, L. H. Prichard and J. Steve Anderson opened West Texas Refinery Company just west of Colorado City to process Mitchell County oil. Ownership soon changed to Standard Oil of California, which renamed the company Col-Tex Refining. From the 1930s to 1950s, the refinery operated at a full capacity of 12,000 barrels a day. The company was a major part of Colorado City life; it employed many local workers and residents timed their activities by the refinery whistle. In 1958, Cosden Petroleum Company acquired the refinery and sold it five years later to American Petrofina, which managed the refinery until ceasing operations in 1969. Their successor, Fina, commenced environmental cleanup of the refinery in 1992. 175 Years of Texas Independence * 1836-2011
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Opened in 1924 to process Mitchell County crude, this refinery was soon acquired by Standard Oil of California and renamed Col-Tex, running at a full 12,000 barrels a day from the 1930s into the 1950s. It was woven into Colorado City's daily rhythm—employing scores of residents who set their clocks by the refinery whistle—before changing hands through Cosden, American Petrofina, and Fina, which closed operations in 1969 and later began environmental cleanup. The site charts the whole arc of a West Texas oil-town industry from boom to shutdown.
Why it matters
It records how an oil refinery could become the economic and social heartbeat of a small Texas town across the 20th century.
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Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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