WHAT DO YOU KNOW ?

WHAT DO YOU KNOW about the King Ranch? Cattle comes to mind of course, but so much else! It is one of the largest privately held corporations in the U.S. It covers 1,300 square miles and six south Texas counties. It has world-wide cattle operations; owns more than 50,000 acres of timberland; operates hundreds of oil and gas wells; is a major player in agribusiness, cotton, pecans, leather, farm equipment, Ford’s King Ranch truck, etc. Quarter horses are raised and raced. Assault won the Triple Crown in 1946 and in 1950 Middle Ground won the Derby and Belmont.________________ Richard King came to the coast of Texas from Pennsylvania. He and his friend Mifflin Kenedy started as traders, then dominated commerce in south Texas by shipping goods in their steamboats. Eventually both became ranchers. In 1852, King started a cattle camp on Santa Gertrudis Creek in South Texas. He bought several land grants to which he added acreage that became home to 100 men, woman and children from Mexico known as Kinenos meaning “King’s Men”. After Richard King died in 1885, his wife Henrietta retained her future son-in-law Robert J. Kleberg, Sr. as manager and lawyer for the King Ranch._________________ One August at dusk in 1915, fifty to seventy Mexican horsemen raided the Headquarters of the King Ranch located about 70 miles north of Brownsville, Texas. Three Custom Inspectors and the Cameron County Sheriff arrived to aid the King’s men. Twelve Texas Rangers were sent by the Attorney General. Only one employee of the ranch was killed and 4 others wounded. Five raiders were killed and a dozen wounded. The battle was called Bandit Wars and the citizens of the Rio Grande Valley were outraged so the U.S. Army increased its presence in the area.________________ In 1918 son Robert J. Kleberg jr. became Ranch Manager. After his death in 1974, Kleberg and King descendants became stock holders and hired CEO’s to manage the diverse businesses._______________ Descendant Alfred King and his wife Ellen were generous residents of Austin and Santa Fe. In the 1970s, I was privileged to sit on the Laguna Gloria Art Museum board of directors with Alfred when he suggested that we attempt to gain the Folk Art collection belonging to his friend Alexander Girard. Alas our museum had neither the room nor the funds to accommodate the extensive collection. Perhaps you have seen it at the Santa Fe Art Museum complex. Carole Sikes 6/2022 Ref. Texas State Historical Assocation’s Handbook of Texas Lone Star, a History of Texas and the Texans by T. R. Fehrenbach