Wichita Valley Refinery and Texas Oklahoma Fair

Wichita County's first oil refinery was built in 1914 at Iowa Park by the Wichita Valley Refining Company. Established on a small scale, the company soon expanded and by 1918 owned 53 tank cars, had 12 miles of pipeline, and was producing 2,500 barrels of crude oil daily. The operation was sold in 1919 to Texhoma Refining Company. In 1922 the company was succeeded by the Walker Consolidated Producing and Refining Company, which improved plant and pipeline operations. Although functioning only until about 1926, the refinery was significant in the county's petroleum industry history. The Wichita County fair, which began in Wichita Falls in 1922, moved to this Iowa Park site in 1928. Promoted by the local newspaper publisher, the county fair became a popular annual event featuring agriculture, livestock, and industry of the Northwest Texas and Southern Oklahoma region. The six-day festival became the Texas-Oklahoma Fair and Southwest Oil Exposition. The fair closed in 1962 due to declining attendance and revenue and fires that destroyed several buildings. The property was later developed into a retail center. (1997)

Wichita Valley Refinery and Texas Oklahoma Fair is a historical marker in Iowa Park, Wichita County, dedicated in 1996. It is one of 75 historical markers documented in Wichita County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 94 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 33.9539, -98.6720 near Iowa Park. The nearest cataloged historic site is Burnett, Tom Lloyd (historical marker), about 0.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include Burnett, Tom Lloyd Home, Iowa Park, and Iowa Park Lodge No. 713, A.F. & A.M..

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5485004914. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.