Kingsville's history is deeply rooted in the growth of the King Ranch and the arrival of the railroad. The city was founded in 1904 to provide infrastructure for the King Ranch and to serve as the headquarters for the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway. The first train passed through Kingsville on July 4, 1904, marking the city's founding. By 1911, Kingsville was incorporated and had a thriving business scene. The city experienced a population boom around 1920 with the discovery of oil and natural gas. During World War II, Kingsville was selected as the site of a new naval air station, which opened in 1942 and has been operating ever since. The city's economy has also been shaped by the presence of major industries like the Celanese Corporation and Exxon.

Kingsville, TX RoadyGoat

Kingsville was founded in 1904 by Robert J. Kleberg Jr., who formed the Kleberg Town and Improvement Company to plan and construct the town at the behest of his mother-in-law, Henrietta King. The city was established three miles from the King Ranch headquarters and was named in honor of Richard King, the founder of the King Ranch. The community also housed the headquarters of the newly formed St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway. The first buildings were constructed and the first train passed through Kingsville on July 4, 1904, marking the city's founding.

Kingsville, TX RoadyGoat

In 1941, Kingsville was chosen as the site for a new military airfield due to the lobbying efforts of local civic leaders and Congressman Richard Kleberg. The U.S. Navy opened Naval Air Auxiliary Station Kingsville in 1942, which played a significant role in pilot training during World War II and has been continuously operating since. This event marked a major milestone in the city's history and had a lasting impact on its economy and development.

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King, Henrietta Chamberlain

1854

Henrietta Maria Morse Chamberlain King, rancher and philanthropist, the only child of Maria (Morse) and Hiram Chamberlain , was born on July 21, 1832, in Boonville, Missouri. Her mother's death in 1835 and her father's Presbyterian missionary work in Missouri and Tennessee often made her childhood lonely; as a result she became strongly self-reliant and introspective, and she maintained close attachments to her family. She attended Female Institute of Holly Springs, Mississippi, for two years, beginning when she was fourteen. She moved to Brownsville, Texas, probably in 1849, for she was living there when her father organized the first Presbyterian mission in South Texas at Brownsville, on February 23, 1850. In 1854 she taught briefly at the Rio Grande Female Institute before her marriage to Richard King on December 10, 1854; they had five children. In 1854 Henrietta and Richard King established their home on the Santa Gertrudis Ranch ( see KING RANCH ). Their original dwelling was a mud and stick jacal, but this was eventually replaced with a house overlooking Santa Gertrudis Creek. Not only was Henrietta King wife and mother, but she also was supervisor of housing and education for the families of Mexican-American ranchhands. During the Civil War the ranch was an official receiving station for cotton that was ferried first to Mexican ports and then on to England. When King left the ranch to escape capture by Union forces in 1863, a pregnant Henrietta remained. After the house was plundered she moved the family to San Antonio until they could safely return home. Upon her husband's death in 1885 Mrs. King assumed full ownership of his estate, consisting chiefly of 500,000 acres of ranchland between Corpus Christi and Brownsville and $500,000 in debts. Under Henrietta King's skillful and personal supervision, and with the assistance of her son-in-law, Robert Justus Kleberg , the King Ranch was freed of debt and increased in size. By 1895 the 650,000-acre ranch was engaged in experiments in cattle and horse breeding, in range grasses, and in dry and irrigated farming. That year King gave Kleberg her power of attorney and increased his ranch responsibilities. The ranch continued to grow, reaching a size of 1,173,000 acres by 1925. One of the horses bred at the ranch won the Triple Crown in 1946. The Santa Gertrudis cattle developed there were a boon to the Texas cattle industry because of their resistance to disease and heat. King was also interested in the settlement of the region between Corpus Christi and Brownsville. About 1903 she offered 75,000 acres of right-of-way to Uriah Lott and Benjamin Franklin Yoakum , who planned to construct the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway. In 1904 she furnished townsites for Kingsville and Raymondville, located on the railway. She founded the Kleberg Town and Improvement Company and the Kingsville Lumber Company to sell land and materials to settlers in Kingsville. As the town grew she invested in the Kingsville Ice and Milling Company, Kingsville Publishing Company, Kingsville Power Company, Gulf Coast Gin Company, and Kingsville Cotton Oil Mill Company. She constructed the First Presbyterian Church building there and also donated land for Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, and Catholic churches; she constructed a public high school and presented it to the town. Among her many charities were donations of land for the Texas-Mexican Industrial Institute and for the Spohn Sanitarium ( see SPOHN HOSPITAL ). In her last years she provided land and encouragement for the establishment of South Texas State Teachers College (now Texas A&M University–Kingsville). Henrietta King died on March 31, 1925, on the King Ranch and was buried in Kingsville. At her funeral an honor guard of 200 vaqueros , riding quarter horses branded with the ranch's Running W, flanked the hearse. Each rider cantered once around the open grave.

Tsha Handbook →

King Ranch

1853

At 825,000 acres, King Ranch is larger than Rhode Island. Founded in 1853 by steamboat captain Richard King, it remains a working cattle empire.

Historical Marker →

King Ranch, The

1853

Richard King (1824-1885), a Rio Grande steamboat captain, bought two Spanish land grants on Santa Gertrudis Creek and founded the legendary King Ranch in 1853. He brought longhorn cattle from Mexico and battled droughts and cattle thieves to build a profitable ranch. Operating first in partnership with G. K. ("Legs") Lewis and later with Mifflin Kenedy and James Walworth, King became sole owner in the late 1860s. During the Civil War (1861-1865), the King Ranch was a way-station for Confederate cotton going to Mexico. Herds carrying King's famous "Running W" brand followed the cattle trails to northern markets in the 1870s. After King died, his widow Henrietta (Chamberlain) (1832-1925) named as ranch manager Robert Justus Kleberg (1853-1932), who later married her daughter Alice Gertrudis King (1862-1944). The ranch became less isolated in the early 1900s, when the railroad arrived and the town of Kingsville was settled. Constant improvement of herds by King-Kleberg descendants produced a new breed of cattle, the Santa Gertrudis, and fine quarter horses and thoroughbreds. Petroleum was discovered on ranch property in the 1930s. Today the King ranch has grown to almost one million acres in south Texas, plus holdings in other states and nations.

Historical Marker →

Englishmen in South Texas

1567

Fifty-two years before the celebrated landing of English settlers at Plymouth Rock, in what is now Massachusetts, three Englishmen traveled this South Texas area. They were sailors who had gone to sea in 1567 with Sir John Hawkins, an admiral of the fleet of Queen Elizabeth I, on a trading voyage. At Vera Cruz, Mexico, on Sept 26, 1568, Sir John was attacked by the Spanish, losing five of his six ships. Forced by famine and overcrowding to lighten the remaining crippled ship, he put ashore 114 of his men on October 8, 1568, near Tampico. Most went south, only to be captured by the Spanish; 26 went north, had indian fights and other misfortunes. Of the 26, only Richard Browne, David Ingram, and Richard Twide ever reached England again. That Browne, Ingram, and Twide passed through this part of Texas is evident by Ingram's testimony, given to her Majesty's secretary in 1582. He told of cannibal Indians along the Gulf Coast. Described the lush grass at the Rio Grande's mouth and the sandy regions north of that river, told of large "musquetas" and of eating prickly pear fruit. In 11 months of steady walking-- only once resting as long as five days-- they reached Frenchmen in Nova Scotia, and a ship captain took them to Europe. (1973)

Historical Marker →

Canales, Laura

1970

Laura Canales, known as “La Reina de la Onda Tejana” (“Queen of the Tejano Wave”), was born on August 19, 1954, in Kingsville, Texas. She grew up in Kingsville in a Mexican-American middle class family. Shortly after graduating from H. M. King High School in Kingsville, she made her stage debut in the early 1970s with the group Los Unicos. She also sang with El Conjunto Bernal from 1973 to 1975. After working as the lead vocalist with Snowball and Company, Felicidad, and Los Fabulosos Cuatro, Canales formed her own group, Laura Canales and Encanto in 1981. Canales recorded her first single, “Midnight Blue,” in 1975. Over the next two decades, she recorded more than twenty albums and CDs and became increasingly popular as an interpreter of contemporary Tejano music, which earned her the title “La Reina de la Onda Tejana.” Among her well-known hits are “Eternamente,” “O Gran Dios,” “No Lastimes Mas,” “Cinco Canas Mas,” and “Miki-Wiki.” Her 1990 album, No Regrets , remained on the Tejano music charts for thirteen weeks. She won her first “Female Entertainer” and first “Female Vocalist of the Year” awards from the Tejano Music Awards in 1983 and was recognized with this honor several more times. In 2000 she was among the first group of musicians inducted into the Tejano R.O.O.T.S. (Recognizing our Own Tejano Stars) Hall of Fame . In the mid-1980s she left Laura Canales and Encanto for a sabbatical from performing. In 1988 she returned to the Tejano music industry and worked for six months as a disc jockey for KYST-AM Radio in Houston. In 1989 she was signed by Capitol EMI Latin to a five-year recording contract, and she worked with Los Fabulosos Cuatro to promote her new work. Canales, who was said to possess a “rich, supple voice and a friendly, exuberant personality,” gained a legion of devoted fans during her career. Her popularity may have been in part due to her adherence to the Tejano conjunto tradition. She always retained an accordion player in her musical group and regularly offered a performance lineup of “traditionally polka-based conjunto.” Canales considered conjunto music the foundation of the Tejano sound and never abandoned the genre. She was also a trailblazer for women in the male-dominated Tejano music industry. Her success in breaking down barriers to female singers is credited with helping make possible the careers of another generation of singers such as Selena and Shelly Lares. For her contributions to the world of entertainment, Canales was recognized by Gov. Mark White who honored her with the “Yellow Rose of Texas” accolade in 1983. That same year San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros named her “Alcalde de San Antonio” and “First Lady of Song in South Texas.” Because her singing career brought her a strong following among high school Tejano students, Laura Canales strove to serve as a role model for young people. She set an example for them when she enrolled at Texas A&M University in Kingsville to pursue a university education. She completed her bachelor’s degree at the school in 1997, more than twenty years after graduating from high school. At her death she was working on a master’s degree. Laura Canales had been performing with the Leyendas y Raises tour, which included such notable Tejano musicians as Augustín Ramírez, Sunny Ozuna, and Freddie Martínez in 2005, when she became ill. After undergoing gall bladder surgery on March 28, 2005, at Christus Spohn Hospital in Corpus Christi, she contracted pneumonia and suffered other complications. She died a few weeks later on April 16, 2005, at the age of fifty. In death, Laura Canales was remembered with a rosary and funeral service attended by hundreds of friends, fans, and fellow musicians. She was eulogized by Javier Villanueva, leader of the Tejano R.O.O.T.S. Hall of Fame and Museum, who recalled her as a “loving daughter, sister, friend, and legend.” In an overwhelming outpouring of grief over her death, more than 12,000 messages of condolences were sent

Tsha Handbook →

Kleberg, Caesar

1900

Caesar Kleberg, rancher and wildlife promoter, son of Mathilda (Eckhart) and Rudolph Kleberg , was born on September 20, 1873, at Cuero, Texas. Rudolph Kleberg served in Congress from 1897 to 1903. Upon graduation from the Cuero schools and after attending St. Edwards University in Austin, "Mr. Caesar" went to Washington, D. C., where he was employed as his father's congressional secretary. He moved to the King Ranch in 1900 to begin work for Henrietta King and was chief assistant to his uncle, Robert J. Kleberg . Caesar first lived and worked on the Santa Gertrudis Division, but he made his mark during his thirty-year tenure as foreman of Norias, forty miles south of Kingsville. His numerous friends included presidents, governors, Will Rogers, and the people who worked under him. He was a Democrat, an inheritance from his father, and was a delegate to five national party conventions. He was also a Mason. As a mentor of his younger cousins, the original five stockholders of the King Ranch Corporation, he was a major contributor to transforming the ranch from a traditional western operation to a modern beef-producing and horse-breeding business. Kleberg was a member of the Texas Livestock Sanitary Commission, and he and his uncle pioneered measures in tick eradication throughout the state ( see TEXAS FEVER ). He had a part in the development of railroads in the Rio Grande valley and was one of the incorporators of the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway. He also helped found Kingsville, as an officer of the Kingsville Town Improvement Company. Kleberg oversaw the restoration of the white-tailed deer, the turkey, and bobwhite quail to rangeland almost completely denuded of them. In 1924 he released Nilgai antelope from southern Asia on the Texas range, the first such release in the western hemisphere. The Nilgai have multiplied to such numbers that they are commercially harvested at Norias as a gourmet wild game meat. Kleberg, who never married, died at the Santa Gertrudis Division of the King Ranch on April 14, 1946. In his will he established the Caesar Kleberg Foundation for Wildlife Conservation, endowing a fund to support wildlife research and conservation around the world. In 1981 the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute was established on the campus of Texas A&I University; it was funded by the foundation to support research in wildlife diseases, commercial uses of wildlife, and the ecology of native plant and animal species.

Tsha Handbook →

Things to Do in Kingsville

historical 0.1 mi away

King Ranch

Captain Richard King bought his first Texas brushland in 1853 and by the time he died the King Ranch covered eight hundred and twenty-five thousand acres --…

quirky 20.7 mi away

Americas Ghost County

Kenedy County has a population of about 350 people making it the third-least populated county in Texas and fourth-least in the entire United States. You can…

historical 20.7 mi away

The 300 Million Dollar Will Fight

When ranch heiress Sarita Kenedy East died in 1961 she left behind a fortune worth over 300 million dollars and one of the most explosive will contests in…

historical 20.6 mi away

The Kenedy Ranch Empire

Mifflin Kenedy was a steamboat captain turned rancher who built one of the largest cattle empires in South Texas. His Kenedy Pasture Company controlled…

historical 20.7 mi away

The Desert of the Dead

Behind locked gates on the Kenedy Ranch lies a cemetery where immigrants who died crossing the vast brushland are buried. The 235000-acre ranch sits between…

historical 20.8 mi away

The Hurricane That Emptied a Town

On August 18 1916 a Category 3 hurricane with 115 mph winds slammed directly into Kenedy County. Before the storm Sarita had about 300 residents including…

quirky 20.7 mi away

The Girl Who Became a Town

Sarita Kenedy East was born in 1889 the daughter of one of South Texas most powerful ranching families. Her father John G. Kenedy loved her so much he named an…

quirky 20.7 mi away

The Kenedy Ranch Museum

In 2003 the Kenedy Ranch Museum opened in Saritas newly restored Kenedy Pasture Company building. During the restoration workers cracked open two old metal…

day trip

Day Trip to Kingsville 🤠 (FULL EPISODE) S6 E8

Featured on The Daytripper — a full-episode local travel guide.

Sports in Kingsville

🏆 STATE CHAMPIONS Class 3A · Softball · 2018–2026

Santa Gertrudis Academy Lions — UIL 3A Softball State Champions — 2 titles

Most recent: 2026 3A Division 2

The Santa Gertrudis Academy High School softball team from Kingsville has established a notable presence in Texas high school sports, securing two state championships. Competing in Class 3A, the Lions have demonstrated their competitive spirit on the diamond, bringing pride to their community through their consistent performance at the state level.

Their championship victories in 2018 and 2026 highlight a sustained period of excellence for the program. These titles represent significant achievements for Santa Gertrudis Academy, underscoring the dedication and hard work within the team and across the Kingsville area.

State titles

2 (2018–2026)

Most recent

2026

Class

The moment

The Santa Gertrudis Academy High School softball team celebrated a Class 3A Division 2 state championship in 2026, adding to their previous Class 3A title in 2018.

Sources: Wikipedia · UIL State Championship Archives · SI High School (ScoreBook Live)

Everything Near Kingsville

102 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

Santa Gertrudis Academy — State Softball 2026
Santa Gertrudis Academy in Kingsville, Texas qualified for the 2026 UIL state softball championships, reaching the state tournament (final four) in Class three A, Division Two.
Kingsville, TX
Kingsville's history is deeply rooted in the growth of the King Ranch and the arrival of the railroad. The city was founded in 1904 to provide infrastructure for the King Ranch and to serve as the headquarters for the…
Kingsville, TX
In 1941, Kingsville was chosen as the site for a new military airfield due to the lobbying efforts of local civic leaders and Congressman Richard Kleberg. The U.S. Navy opened Naval Air Auxiliary Station Kingsville in…
Texas HS Baseball Leaders 2026: Santa Gertrudis Academy (Kingsville)
Santa Gertrudis Academy (Kingsville, TX) placed on the 3A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: Derek Garcia (5 HR); Jay Reyes (2 HR).
King Ranch · 0.1 mi · Things to Do
Captain Richard King bought his first Texas brushland in 1853 and by the time he died the King Ranch covered eight hundred and twenty-five thousand acres --…
Englishmen in South Texas · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker
Fifty-two years before the celebrated landing of English settlers at Plymouth Rock, in what is now Massachusetts, three Englishmen traveled this South Texas area. They were sailors who had gone to sea in 1567 with Sir…
Henrietta's Town · 0.6 mi
For fifty years, the King Ranch was a world unto itself. Captain Richard King invested heavily in railroads himself, but when he died in 1885 no line yet reached his ranch country. By the early 1900s his widow,…
The Kineños: The King's People · 0.6 mi
The King Ranch wasn't just built on land; it was built by people. Specifically, by the 'Kineños,' or the 'King's People.' When Captain Richard King started his cattle operation, he traveled to the village of Cruillas in…
Engineering the Perfect Cow · 0.6 mi
The King Ranch faced a major biological problem. British cattle breeds, like Shorthorn and Hereford, produced excellent beef but suffered terribly in the brutal South Texas heat and from insect-borne diseases. Brahman…
King, Henrietta Chamberlain · 0.6 mi · Tsha Handbook
Henrietta Maria Morse Chamberlain King, rancher and philanthropist, the only child of Maria (Morse) and Hiram Chamberlain , was born on July 21, 1832, in Boonville, Missouri. Her mother's death in 1835 and her father's…
The Sound of Freedom · 0.6 mi
If you hear a jet screaming across the sky, you’re hearing what locals call 'the sound of freedom.' That’s a T-45 Goshawk training jet from Naval Air Station Kingsville. The base opened in 1942, during the height of…
Canales, Laura · 0.6 mi · Tsha Handbook
Laura Canales, known as “La Reina de la Onda Tejana” (“Queen of the Tejano Wave”), was born on August 19, 1954, in Kingsville, Texas. She grew up in Kingsville in a Mexican-American middle class family. Shortly after…

Show all 102 nearby places

Kleberg, Caesar · 0.6 mi · Tsha Handbook
Caesar Kleberg, rancher and wildlife promoter, son of Mathilda (Eckhart) and Rudolph Kleberg , was born on September 20, 1873, at Cuero, Texas. Rudolph Kleberg served in Congress from 1897 to 1903. Upon graduation from…
Lavazares, Guido de · 0.6 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through South Texas, near Kingsville, and right here, in 1558, Guido de Lavazares made the first formal claim to Texas soil for Spain. He sailed from Veracruz, tasked with exploring the Gulf Coast. His…
Rangel, Irma Lerma · 0.6 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Kingsville, the hometown of Irma Lerma Rangel. Born in 1931, Rangel grew up facing prejudice but her family pushed boundaries, even building a home in an all-Anglo neighborhood. She became an…
Lerma, Everardo Carlos [E. C.] · 0.6 mi · Tsha Handbook
Everardo Carlos “E. C.” Lerma, distinguished Mexican American high school coach, educator, and school administrator, son of Mauro Lerma and Carlota (Gonzales) Lerma, was born in Kleberg County, Texas, on June 2, 1915.…
Cantú, Laura Hernández · 0.6 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through South Texas, and right here in Kingsville, a Tejano music legend got her start. Laura Hernández Cantú, born in 1926, formed the popular sister duet Carmen y Laura. They weren't just singers; they…
El Conjunto Bernal · 0.6 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through South Texas, and right here in Kingsville, you're passing through the birthplace of a musical revolution. In <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1954</say-as>, brothers Eloy and Paulino Bernal…
Kleberg County · 0.6 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Kleberg County, a place that owes its very existence to the King Ranch and the railroad. Back in 1853, Richard King bought the Santa Gertrudis grant, and for fifty years, the ranch *was* the…
Kleberg, Richard Mifflin · 0.6 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through South Texas, and right here, you're passing through the legacy of Richard "Dick" King, a name synonymous with the King Ranch. But this story is about his grandson, Richard Mifflin Kleberg, the…
Skinner, James William · 0.6 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Kingsville, Texas, a town that owes its unique educational mission to James William Skinner. After a career as a Presbyterian minister and a failed land investment left him stranded in the Rio…
St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway · 0.6 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through South Texas, and right here, the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway changed everything. Chartered in 1903, this ambitious line aimed to connect the heartland of America all the way to…
Young, Danny Roy · 0.6 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through South Austin, and right here on South Lamar Boulevard, you might have seen the Texicalli Grille. It was more than just a restaurant; it was a hub for Austin's vibrant music and arts scene for…
Dodd, James Andrew · 0.6 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through South Texas, and right here, you might be near the stomping grounds of Jimmie Dodd, a photographer who captured the heart of this region for forty years. Starting out in 1935 with a borrowed…
Naval Air Station, Kingsville · 0.6 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving near Kingsville, home to a vital piece of Texas aviation history. Commissioned in July 1942, this Naval Air Station, then known only as 'P-4,' was one of three advanced training bases for the Navy during…
Kingsville, TX · 0.6 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Kingsville, a town born from a railroad dream. Back in the early 1900s, South Texas wanted a line to Brownsville. Henrietta King of the famous King Ranch agreed to sell a huge piece of her land,…
St. Paul Lutheran Church · 0.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving by the site of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Kingsville. It began in January 1912 as a mission charge, with early members meeting at Flato Hall and later the First Presbyterian Church. In 1913, Henrietta…
Lott, Uriah · 0.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Kingsville, heading south, and you're passing the site of a man who literally built the future of South Texas. Uriah Lott, born in New York, arrived here in 1868. He wasn't just a merchant or a…
Kingsville Railroad Depot · 0.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're cruising past the Kingsville Railroad Depot, built way back in 1904. This place wasn't just any station; it was constructed using local adobe bricks, a unique touch for a standard design by the St. Louis,…
First Presbyterian Church of Kingsville · 0.9 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of the First Presbyterian Church of Kingsville. Tradition says services began under mesquite trees before organizing in 1905. Henrietta King and the Kleberg Company donated land here, and…
First United Methodist Church of Kingsville · 0.9 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of the First United Methodist Church of Kingsville. The first Methodist service here was held under mesquite trees on March 4, 1904. The congregation later built several buildings, with the…
King, Henrietta M. King, High School · 1.0 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Henrietta M. King High School in Kingsville, a building with a story tied to one of Texas's most famous families. Completed in 1909, this structure originally held every grade in the Kingsville…
Kleberg, Robert J., Public Library · 1.0 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of the original Kingsville Public Library, a building with a story of community spirit. It all started back in 1909, thanks to the hard work of the Woman's Club. They dreamed of a place for…
First Baptist Church of Kingsville · 1.0 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Kingsville, where the railroad arrived in July of 1904. The very next month, twelve residents organized this Baptist church, with R. L. Pearce serving as their first pastor. By 1907, the…
Kingsville Cotton Mill · 1.1 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of the Kingsville Cotton Mill, a place that bounced back from closure more than once. It opened in 1921, thanks to folks like William D. McNeill, and churned out yarn for carpets. But…
King Star Baptist Church · 1.1 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Kingsville, and right here is the site of the King Star Missionary Baptist Church, founded in 1910. It was the first church for African Americans in Kingsville, and get this - it also served as…
King Ranch · 1.2 mi · Historical Marker
At 825,000 acres, King Ranch is larger than Rhode Island. Founded in 1853 by steamboat captain Richard King, it remains a working cattle empire.
King Ranch · 1.2 mi · Historical Marker
This is King Ranch, 825,000 acres of South Texas brush country, larger than the state of Rhode Island and one of the biggest ranches on earth. Captain Richard King, a steamboat pilot from New York, bought his first…
First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) · 1.2 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Kingsville, passing the site of the First Christian Church. Organized in 1911 by railroad employees, the congregation built its first home in 1913 with community donations. The current building…
Texas A&M University-Kingsville · 1.5 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Texas A&M University-Kingsville, a school with a proud history that started back in 1917. That's when the state decided to build a normal college here to train teachers. But World War I pushed the…
Chamberlain Cemetery · 1.6 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Kingsville, a town that owes its very existence to a railroad, and it all started around 1904. Henrietta King, the powerful owner of the King Ranch, teamed up with other ranchers to bring the St.…
Taylor Camp Site, 1846 · 2.1 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site where Zachary Taylor's army camped in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1846</say-as>, right here on Santa Gertrudis Creek. Four regiments stopped here on their march from Corpus…
U.S. Naval Auxiliary Air Station - Kingsville · 2.2 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving near the site of the U.S. Naval Auxiliary Air Station, Kingsville. Commissioned on July 4, 1942, this base was a vital Intermediate Training Complex, preparing cadets for carrier pilot training. Cadets…
Mexican Activities at Santa Gertrudis in the 1830's · 2.4 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the historic Santa Gertrudis camp, a place that saw some serious action in the 1830s. Back in 1832, citizens from Matamoros stopped here on their way to a feast with Irish settlers. Just a few years…
Camp Kingsville, U.S.A. · 2.4 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Kingsville, Texas, where back in 1915, this area was Camp Kingsville, a U.S. Army base set up to deal with the unrest on the Mexican border. Lieutenant Joseph Dorst Patch established the camp, and…
Kleberg County · 2.4 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Kleberg County, formed from Nueces County back in 1913. It was organized the same year, named for Robert Justus Kleberg, a German settler who arrived in Texas way back, fought at San Jacinto, and…
King Ranch, The · 2.5 mi · Historical Marker
Richard King (1824-1885), a Rio Grande steamboat captain, bought two Spanish land grants on Santa Gertrudis Creek and founded the legendary King Ranch in 1853. He brought longhorn cattle from Mexico and battled droughts…
King Ranch, C.S.A. · 2.5 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the historic King Ranch, a vital lifeline for the Confederacy during the Civil War. Founded in 1853 by Captain Richard King, by 1861, the ranch boasted twenty thousand cattle and three thousand…
Cattle Dipping Vat · 2.9 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Kingsville, and right here is the site of a world-changing invention for the cattle industry! In 1894, this vat was built, believed to be the very first of its kind anywhere. Tick fever was…
Camp San Fernando · 2.9 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of Camp San Fernando, a vital Confederate outpost during the Civil War. This post guarded the lifeline of the Confederacy: the cotton road, a crucial export-import route running all the way…
Santa Gertrudis, Headquarters of the King Ranch · 3.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the legendary Santa Gertrudis, the heart of the vast King Ranch. This land was part of a Spanish land grant when Captain Richard King bought it way back in 1853. Imagine, the very first King Ranch…
Presbyterian Pan American School · 4.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Presbyterian Pan American School. MEXICAN-AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGATIONS BEGAN TO APPEAR IN TEXAS IN THE LAST DECADE OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. WITH THE POPULATION INCREASE IN TEXAS FOLLOWING…
Gas Well in Kleberg County · 4.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Kingsville, Texas, where they struck it rich – or rather, struck gas! Back in 1912, a farmer named Frank House was just looking for water, but he hit pockets of natural gas instead. Years later,…
Bishop · 5.9 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Bishop, Texas, a town that sprang to life in 1910 thanks to F.Z. Bishop. He bought this land and envisioned a model town, right on the railroad line. Bishop didn't just plan streets; he built an…
St. John Lutheran Church · 5.9 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of St. John Lutheran Church. Organized in 1913 by thirteen local families, the congregation faced hardship. Their first sanctuary, built in 1917, was burned by the Ku Klux Klan in 1919 due…
First Baptist Church of Bishop · 5.9 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Bishop, where the First Baptist Church started back in 1911. Forty people met in Moser Hall to form the congregation, and they got their first building funded by a loan in 1912. This church even…
First United Methodist Church of Bishop · 5.9 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of the First United Methodist Church of Bishop. Organized in 1911, the congregation faced challenges like drought and hurricanes but built their first church in 1912. A new, larger building…
López, Isidro Manuel [El Indio] · 6.0 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through South Texas, maybe near Bishop, where Isidro Manuel López, known as "El Indio," was born. López didn't just play music; he invented a whole new sound called 'Texachi' – blending Texas roots with…
Bishop, TX · 6.0 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Bishop, Texas, a town that sprang up almost overnight in 1910. It wasn't just a few scattered buildings; F.Z. Bishop bought the land and laid out a modern town before the first lots were even…
St. Paul Lutheran Church and School · 6.1 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of St. Paul Lutheran Church and School. Organized in 1911 by Wendish Lutherans, the congregation built its first church and used it as a schoolhouse during the week. The church and school…
Hide and Tallow Plant · 6.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Kingsville, and right around here is the site of a little-known King Ranch operation from the late 1860s. After the Civil War, Captain Richard King wanted to make money off more than just prime…
F.Z. Bishop's Model Town · 6.7 mi
You’re driving through a town that was designed on paper before a single brick was laid. F.Z. Bishop, a Corpus Christi insurance man, was obsessed with order and progress. When he platted his new city in 1910 on land…
Alchemy on the Prairie: The Chemistry of Celanese · 6.7 mi
The Celanese plant near Bishop is a marvel of mid-20th century chemical engineering, and it’s still running today. Its purpose from the start was to take one simple, abundant resource—natural gas—and transform it into a…
Bishop, TX · 6.7 mi
Bishop, Texas is located at the intersection of key transportation routes. The city is situated on U.S. Highway 77 (Interstate 69E) and Farm to Market Road 70. This strategic location connects Bishop to Kingsville, just…
Ricardo, TX · 6.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Ricardo, a community that owes its existence to the King Ranch and a railroad. Back in 1908, Robert Kleberg, Sr. asked the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway to build a depot right here.…
A Star in the Window, a Marker by the Road · 9.2 mi
This road carries a Blue Star Memorial Highway designation, one of a string of them across Texas. The name comes from a family tradition. When someone in a household was serving in the armed forces, the family displayed…
U.S. Army March to the Rio Grande · 11.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through South Texas, near Riviera, where history marched right through. In 1845, General Zachary Taylor led the largest U.S. Army of the first half of the 19th century. His mission: occupy the disputed…
Parrilla, Diego Ortiz · 11.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the area where Spanish explorer Diego Ortiz Parrilla's expedition charted the Texas coast in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1766</say-as>. Ordered by the Viceroy of New Spain to find and…
Driscoll, Robert, Jr. · 12.6 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through South Texas, an area shaped by the vision of Robert Driscoll Jr. After returning from Europe in 1906, Driscoll took over his family's vast ranching empire, stretching across 125,000 acres. But he…
The Hospital Built on a Ranching Fortune · 12.8 mi
The name on the town sign, Driscoll, is also on one of the most important buildings in South Texas: the Driscoll Children's Hospital in Corpus Christi. The connection is direct, and it runs through a remarkable woman.…
Engineering a Landscape: How the Railroad Invented Driscoll · 12.8 mi
The existence of Driscoll is a direct result of a massive transportation engineering project. In the early 1900s, building the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway wasn't just about laying tracks; it was about…
Cattle Drives From South Texas · 12.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through the heart of what was once a wild, untamed cattle kingdom! By the 1840s, millions of longhorns roamed South Texas, and they were practically worthless. But that all changed. In 1846, Edward Piper…
La Maquinita: The Little Machine That Changed Everything · 12.8 mi
If you see the railroad tracks running beside the highway, you're looking at the reason Driscoll exists. The St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway put a station here in 1904 on land owned by Robert Driscoll, Jr.,…
Driscoll, TX · 12.8 mi
Driscoll, Texas, was founded around the arrival of the railroad in the area in 1500. The railroad was a significant factor in the city's formation, as it brought new opportunities and growth to the region. This industry…
Driscoll, TX · 12.8 mi
As of the 2000 census, Driscoll's racial makeup was diverse, with 55.27% White, 0.48% African American, 0.61% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, and 38.18% from other races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race made up 84.00%…
Santa Petronila Ranch, Site of · 13.0 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of the Santa Petronila Ranch, established way back in 1764. Captain Blas Maria de la Garza Falcon, sent by the governor of Nuevo Santander, set up this outpost as the very first settlement…
Riviera Beach, TX · 13.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
Riviera Beach, on Farm Road 77 and Baffin Bay in southern Kleberg County, originated as a vacation resort. In 1907 Theodore Koch , a land developer from Minnesota, started a town on the railroad and named it Riviera,…
Loyola Beach, TX · 13.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
Loyola Beach is on Farm Road 628 and the Callo del Grullo, an inlet of Baffin Bay, in southeastern Kleberg County. In 1935 Orlando Underbrink, a local farmer and carpenter, purchased waterfront property from Carl…
Las Calaveras Cemetery · 14.1 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Las Calaveras Cemetery, a resting place for generations of the Valadez family and the Ben Bolt community. The earliest marked grave here is Daniel Valadez, who died in <say-as interpret-as="date"…
Riviera, TX · 14.2 mi
Riviera's history began in 1906 when land promoter Theodore Fredrick Koch founded the town. He purchased land from the King Ranch to sell to settlers and built a townsite along the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico…
Riviera Cemetery · 15.0 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Riviera Cemetery, serving this community since its early days. Theodore F. Koch dedicated land for this burial ground back in 1907, and it was formally deeded to the Riviera Cemetery Association…
Indian Burial Ground (Dietz Archeological Site) · 15.1 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Kleberg County, near Riviera, past a site that holds the secrets of the Karankawa Indians. This coastal tribe, a little-known group, even cared for Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca after his…
Camp Boveda · 15.1 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through South Texas, near Riviera. Imagine this: December 23rd, 1863. Federal troops are raiding the legendary King Ranch, aiming to capture its owner and cripple the Confederate cotton trade. They didn't…
Riviera United Methodist Church · 15.2 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Riviera, where this Methodist congregation was organized in 1910 with 31 members. They met in a schoolhouse until their church building was finished in 1912. The congregation still uses that…
Riviera, TX · 15.4 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Riviera, Texas, a town born from a land promoter's dream. Theodore Koch bought this land in 1907, imagining it as a Texas Riviera. He even ran special trains from Chicago to bring potential buyers…
Vattman, TX · 15.4 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through what used to be Vattman, Texas, a community founded in the early 1900s. It all started when land developer Theodore F. Koch bought land from the King Ranch and established the town of Riviera…
Koch, Theodore F. · 15.4 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through South Texas, and right here, in what is now Nueces County, you're passing through land that was once part of a massive land development scheme. In 1906, a Dutch immigrant named Theodore Koch came…
Riviera Beach and Western Railway · 15.4 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through South Texas, and right here, the Riviera Beach and Western Railway once tried to bring vacationers to a pleasure resort. Chartered in 1912 by land developer Theodore F. Koch, this ten-mile line…
South Texas Brush Country - Cabeza de Vaca's Prickly Pear Years · 15.5 mi · Historical Event
You're in the brush country of South Texas, the region Cabeza de Vaca called the Land of Tunas — the land of prickly pears. From about 1532 to 1534, he and three other Spanish survivors lived among the Mariames and…
Escobar, Eligio Roque · 18.0 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through South Texas, maybe near Ben Bolt, where Eligio Roque Escobar was born. He worked as an oilfield truck driver until a severe leg injury in 1960 changed everything. Instead of driving trucks, he…
The Gas Boom · 18.6 mi
In April 1928, a well drilled near here struck oil, opening up the Agua Dulce oilfield. The discovery changed everything. Before then, this was a quiet cotton town. Afterward, it became a key player in the South Texas…
Tapping the Gas Giant Below · 18.6 mi
The ground beneath Agua Dulce holds a masterpiece of geological engineering. The immense Agua Dulce gas field isn't just one big bubble of gas; it's a complex system of stacked reservoirs. The key formations are the…
The Railroad That Built Agua Dulce · 18.6 mi
If you see the railroad tracks running parallel to the highway, you're looking at one big reason Agua Dulce exists. That's the Texas Mexican Railway - the Tex-Mex - a narrow-gauge line that reached San Diego in 1879 and…
Rabb, Martha (Reagan) · 18.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the heart of what was once the Rabb Ranch, a vast empire built by a woman who became known as the 'Texas Cattle Queen.' Martha Reagan moved to Texas as a girl, married John Rabb, and together they…
Battle of Agua Dulce · 18.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of the Battle of Agua Dulce, a forgotten skirmish during the Texas Revolution. It's March 2nd, <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1836</say-as>, the very same day Texas declared its…
Mr. F. and the Road to His Park · 19.6 mi
Farm to Market Road Nineteen Thirty One in Alice is Flournoy Road, named by the Legislature in nineteen ninety nine for an Alice oilman known as Mr. F. Lucien Flournoy was born in Greenwood, Louisiana, and earned a…
The Premont General Who Won a War by Telephone · 19.7 mi
In Premont, Business U.S. Highway Two Eighty One carries the name Lieutenant General Marc Cisneros Highway, for a Premont man who, people say, won a war with a telephone. Cisneros entered the Army in nineteen sixty one…
Long, Teresa Altagracia Lozano [Terry] · 19.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through South Texas, maybe near Premont, where Teresa Lozano Long was born in 1928. She grew up on a dairy farm, but two things shaped her life: a love for the arts and witnessing firsthand the lack of…
Armendarez, Guadalupe L. [Wally] · 19.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through South Texas, maybe near Premont, where a Tejano music legend was born. Wally Armendarez was just a kid in the 1930s, listening to the big bands and picking up his dad's instruments. By the time he…
Premont, TX · 19.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Premont, a town that owes its existence to a land grant from <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1831</say-as></say-as>. But it wasn't until <say-as interpret-as="date"…
Methodist Episcopal Church, South, of Premont · 19.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of Premont's first church. Methodists erected this stucco chapel around 1910, sharing it with other faiths. The original building was razed in 1956 to make way for the present sanctuary.
Scull, Sarah Jane Newman [Sally] · 20.0 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through what was once wild Texas frontier, and right here, you might have been in the territory of Sally Scull. Born in 1817, Sally was a legend in her own time. She arrived with Stephen F. Austin's first…

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