Back to All Media Alice | ‘Hub City of South Texas’ and an Energy Powerhouse That Once Was When wildcatters struck oil in Jim Wells County in the 1920s, politicians in Alice, Texas saw opportunity beyond the oil patch. The town, which legend has it was named after the daughter of Richard King, the founder of King Ranch, adopted the slogan, “The Hub City of South Texas” due to its proximity to San Antonio to the north, the port of Corpus Christi to the east, and Laredo and the Mexican border to the south. The branding worked. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Alice was a distribution hub for supplies and construction materials throughout south Texas. Drilling and service companies set up oil rig yards in town and employed locals. Share Article When wildcatters struck oil in Jim Wells County in the 1920s, politicians in Alice, Texas saw opportunity beyond the oil patch. The town, which legend has it was named after the daughter of Richard King, the founder of King Ranch, adopted the slogan, “The Hub City of South Texas” due to its proximity to San Antonio to the north, the port of Corpus Christi to the east, and Laredo and the Mexican border to the south. The branding worked. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Alice was a distribution hub for supplies and construction materials throughout south Texas. Drilling and service companies set up oil rig yards in town and employed locals.