In 1881 Russian railroad laborers named Odessa after their homeland, which the wide, flat prairie resembled. By Texas standards, Odessa was a tame cow town, primarily because local Methodists outlawed saloons until 1898; the first bar was opened by the sheriff. The discovery of oil in 1926 brought prosperity and a population boom; by World War II, Odessa was one of the world's largest inland petroleum complexes. Learn More...