When I left the Midland Reporter-Telegram in December of 2009 I was, quite frankly, a little nervous. An idea I had had clunking around in the back of my brain would simply have to work if I were to make it without a steady paycheck and health insurance. In the six months that have passed since leaving the newspaper -- the true historian of MIdland, Texas -- what has happened has been remarkable.

The story of Midland is there in front of us all, waiting to be told. Now, it just has to be put in some sort of logical order to make it enjoyable and informative for the many people of this town and elsewhere who have wanted a history of our home but have not had one of this magnitude.

Today is July 4, 2010. Twenty-five years ago today, the Reporter-Telegram published a fascinating piece of living history: its centennial edition. The thick and thorough edition was printed on what was Midland's centennial, which would logically make today Midland's Quasquicentennial. Now see, you've already learned something. I had no idea there was a name for a 125-year commemoration. Well, I thought there might be a word for it, but I had to go running to a dictionary to find just what that word is.

It seems fitting then that we kick off this living history blog on our town's Quasquicentennial. Over the course of the next 18 months, you'll be able to visit here throughout that time period and find a sneak peak into what our published history will look like when it is published in the winter of 2011-2012. There are many people to thank, many stories to share and many memories to recall. Email me at JimmyLPatterson@grandecom.net if you have a story to be considered for "A History of Character: The Story of Midland, Texas."

I want to make this historical journey as simple to navigate as possible, so our History of Character Blog will be roughly divided into four areas:
-- Images. Photographs from a variety of sources that depict our town through the years.
 -- Words. Quotes heard and read in interviews and publications through the years.
-- Thoughts. Observations from knowledge learned.
-- Stories. Anecdotes collected through the research process.

I hope you enjoy our trip.

Jimmy Patterson
Author
"A History of Character: The Story of Midland, Texas"

This photo of the Llano Hotel seems as good a place as any to start when offering up a web site on the history of Midland, Texas. The Llano Hotel was a focal point of society in the early part of the 20th century. The site on which the Llano sat is more than likely a place you've been a number of times: the corner of Wall and Main (even though back then they called it the corner of Iowa and Abilene). Today it remains one of the most traversed sections of town. When you look at this picture, you're looking north from south of what is now the Midland Center.

Of course in order to get into the Llano, you'll have to get past Midland's Homeland Security department.

Photo courtesy Judge John Hyde.