How Ward County got its start: cattle, a railroad, and oil

The Texas legislature created Ward County in 1887 from part of Tom Green County. It was organized in 1892 with Barstow as the county seat. The Texas and Pacific Railway had crossed the area in 1881, making water stops at Monahans and other points. Thomas John (Pat) Monahan had dug the first water well between the Pecos River and Big Spring at that location in 1881, and the spot gave Monahans its name. By 1900 the county held almost 13,000 cattle on roughly 424,000 acres of ranch land.

In 1926 the Hendrick oilfield opened in Ward County. The oil industry brought rapid growth. Monahans grew and was incorporated in 1928. On May 10, 1938, voters chose Monahans over Barstow in a contested county seat election; the move was upheld and completed in 1939. A red sandstone courthouse was built in Barstow in 1893, a reminder of the county's earlier center of gravity. The Handbook of Texas at tshaonline.org has a full county entry with sourced details on population, economy, and local landmarks.