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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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St. Martins Catholic Church
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 Your Hotel Here & Save |
| Kingsville
street scene
TE photo October 2203 |
| 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, stories, and vintage/historic
photos of their town, please contact
us. | |
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