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History
in a Pecan Shell
First there was the King Ranch. Then Henrietta King sold off enough
land for the railroad (the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway)
to build to Brownsville.
In 1903, Robert Justus Kleberg formed the Kleberg Town and Improvement
Company and three miles east of the ranch, they started the town,
naming it after Richard King.
In 1904, a post office opened and railroad passenger service came
through.
The railroad located their headquarters and shops there and one-third
of the population of Kingsville were railroad employees. By 1912 the
population was 4,000.
The King Ranch built a hotel, an ice factory (now a museum), a cotton
gin and the Henrietta
King High School.
In 1913 Kleberg County
was formed with Kingsville designated the county seat. In 1920 natural
gas was found and piped into homes and businesses. In 1925 South Texas
Teachers College was opened and in 1929, it underwent a name change
to Texas College of Arts and Industries and then in 1993 it finally
became Texas A&M University at Kingsville.
The Naval Air Station, Kingsville was opened in 1942 as the Kingsville
Naval Auxiliary Station and during World
War II the base housed between 6,000 and 7,000 personnel. The
base closed in 1946, but reopened in 1951. |
Kingsville,
Texas Landmarks & Attractions
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| 1914
Photo courtesy Martha Rogers Ward Garbarino Photo Collection |
St.
Martins Catholic Church
Photo courtesy Gerald
Massey, October 2010 |
The former Texas
Theater in downtown Kingsville
Photo
courtesy Gerald
Massey, October 2010 |
Kingsville
Tourist Information:
Kingsville
Chamber of Commerce
635 E. King Kingsville, Texas 78363
Local call: (361) 592-6438
Long Distance: 1-888-223-0633 Fax: (361) 592-0866
http://www.kingsville.org/
Kingsville Convention and Visitors Bureau
1501 Highway 77 Kingsville, Texas 78363
(361) 592-8516 or (800) 333-5032
http://www.kingsvilletexas.com/
Kingsville
Hotels
> Book Hotel Here |
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Kingsville
street scene
TE photo October 2203 |
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The
Bookmobile
TE photo October 2003 |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history and vintage/historic
photos, please contact
us. |
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