While Kingsville, Texas, was officially established in 1904,
when the railroad came through town, the history of this region
goes back long before that time. The King Ranch, still a working
cattle ranch, was founded in 1853, when Captain Richard King
purchased land that was once part of the Rincon de Santa
Gertrudis Mexican Land Grant. The land was originally called the
Wild Horse Desert by early settlers. Captain King and his
family, with the help of an entire village of people from
Mexico, cleared and fenced the land, fought off the raiding
Indians, and made the area safe for settlers. These same
villagers became some of Texas’ first cowboys (the Kineños), and
their descendents are a vital part of the community today. In
1913, Texas Legislators created the County of Kleberg, with
Kingsville as the county seat. Shortly thereafter, various
events provided the impetus to further spur the growth of
Kingsville: the discovery of gas and oil and the arrivals of
South Texas State Teacher’s College (now Texas A&M Un