The Nueces River is in the area south Texas known as Brush Country where Texas cattle industry had its beginning as settlers built herds from wild cattle in the area. The settlers lived in towns for the most part because isolation threatened their survival. The frontier towns were located along banks of rivers, with Tilden and Oakville being the first towns in McMullen and Live Oak Counties. In the late 19th century, that pattern began to change as the cattle industry expanded and the sheep and wool industries evolved. The isolation of ranch life became a standard.
Agriculture is very limited in the area.
Around the turn of the century, oil an gas exploration exploded. One of the first oil wells was on the Calliham ranch. The owner immediately built a store, and the town of Calliham was born. Since the town of Calliham was to be inundated by the construction of Choke Canyon Dam, Reclamation relocated the Town and its residents about 2 miles to the south adjacent to relocated State Highway 72. Uranium and lilgnite mines now add to the area s economy along with oil and gas, but ranching is still predominate.