check out history - Corsicana, TX. | WikiXM

Founded in 1848, Corsicana was named by José Antonio Navarro after the Mediterranean island of Corsica, the birthplace of his father. He had died when Navarro and his many siblings were young. The first school opened shortly afterwards in 1849.Women's groups have had a strong role throughout the history of the city.

They established the Corsicana Female Literary Institute, a school that operated from 1857 through 1870. The first public library in Corsicana opened in 1901 by effort of the women's clubs of the city. A 1905 library matching gift by Andrew Carnegie gave the library a permanent home and its first full-time, professionally trained librarian.

The library today is housed in a dedicated building downtown and boasts more than 52,283 books, 6,306 audio materials, 783 video materials, and 122 serial subscriptions.The Corsicana Jewish community dates from 1871; they established the 1898 Moorish Revival architectural styled Temple Beth-El, Corsicana.

Few Jewish residents live here today, and the congregation sold the temple. The Historical Society has adapted the temple for use as a community center. The Corsicana YMCA was founded in 1884, and has grown with patron funding. In its earliest days, it was supported by George Taylor Jester (1847–1922), a wealthy dry-goods and cotton distributor, banker, and politician.

He served as lieutenant governor of Texas (1895–1899), and his son Beauford H. Jester served as governor (1947–1949).Oil was accidentally discovered in June, 1894, by the American Well and Prospecting Company, hired by the Corsicana Water Development Company, when oil seeped into an artesian well being drilled within the city limits.

In October 1895, the first commercial oil well was drilled by the Corsicana Oil Development Company, founded by Ralph Beaton, H.G. Damon, and John Davidson. It was the first commercially significant oilfield find in Texas. A refinery was in operation by January 1899, through the efforts of Joseph S.

Cullinan. The Powell oil field was discovered in 1900, a few miles east of Corsicana. Rotary drilling, used to drill water wells, was introduced to the oil industry by M.C. Baker and C.E. Baker, with tools manufactured by the American Well and Prospecting machine shop, owned by N.G. Johnson, E.H. Akin, and Charles Rittersbacker.During World War II, an airman flying school called Corsicana Air Field trained thousands of pilots.