In 1924, L. H. Pritchard and J. Steven Anderson opened the West Texas Refinery Company just west of Colorado City, Texas, to process Mitchell County Oil. When the two oil industry pioneers started up this project in Texas, their work formed the roots of what soon came to be an iconic brand of gasoline in the early part of the 20th Century.
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.
It appears that the Anderson-Prichard Oil Corporation maintained a business relationship with Col-Tex after selling the refinery to Standard Oil. The Col-Tex gasoline brand was “Col-Tex Challenge Gasoline”, which became rebranded or co-branded at Anderson-Prichard service stations as “Anderson-Prichard Challenge” gas.
Col-Tex Refining opened its first Col-Tex gas station in the early 1930s. By 1936, eleven service stations in the area around Colorado City were selling Col-Tex gasoline. Cosden Petroleum Company acquired Col-Tex in 1956 but kept it as a subsidiary and maintained the Col-Tex brand. In 1963, American Petrofina company purchased Cosden and its Col-Tex subsidiary.
The oil refinery in Colorado City was decommissioned in 1969. Col-Tex operated service stations in and around Colorado City, Lubbock, Denton, Abilene, Brownwood, Bronte, Iraan, Fort Stockton, Big Spring, and Seminole. Other independently-owned service stations also sold Col-Tex Challenge gas.
The American Petrofina / ColTex successor company, Fina, commenced environmental cleanup of the refinery properity in 1992.
A Texas State historical marker was commissioned and placed in 2012 at the location where the Col-Tex Refinery used to be.
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.
The Col-Tex historical marker has subsequently gone mission. If you have any information about its whereabouts, please contact us.
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