TexasEscapes.com HOME Welcome to Texas Escapes
A magazine written by Texas
Custom Search
NEW : : TEXAS TOWNS : : GHOST TOWNS : : COUNTIES : : TOPICS : : HISTORY/OPINION : : ARCHITECTURE : : IMAGES : : ARCHIVE : : SITE MAP

Kleberg County TX
Kleberg County
Kingsville Hotels

Corpus Christi Hotels

 

KINGSVILLE, TEXAS

Kleberg County Seat, Texas Gulf Coast

27°30'54"N 97°51'56"W (27.515024, -97.865507)
Highway 77
40 miles SW of Corpus Christi
Population: 2 26,213 (2010) 25,575 (2000)

Book Hotel Here
Kingsville Hotels

Kingsville TX - 1904 Ragland Mercantile Bldg
1904 Building
Photo courtesy Gerald Massey, October 2010

Kingsville, Texas Topics:

  • History in a Pecan Shell
  • Kingsville Landmarks & Attractions
  • Kleberg County Courthouse › next page

  • 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

    Kingsville TX - Kleberg County Courthouse
    Photo courtesy Gerald Massey, October 2010
    Kleberg County Courthouse
    Kingsville TX - Henrietta M. King High School
    1914 Photo courtesy Martha Rogers Ward Garbarino Photo Collection
    Henrietta M. King High School
    Kingsville TX - King Ranch Museum
    King Ranch Museum
    Photo courtesy Gerald Massey, October 2010
    More Texas Museums
    Kingsville TX - Main Street
    Downtown Kingsville
    Photo courtesy Gerald Massey, October 2010
    Kingsville, Texas - Railroad Depot
    Photo courtesy Gerald Massey, October 2010
    Kingsville Railroad Depot
    Kingsville TX - Robert J. Kleberg Public Library
    Photo courtesy Gerald Massey, October 2010
    Robert J. Kleberg Public Library
    Kingsville TX - St. Martins Catholic Church
    St. Martins Catholic Church
    Photo courtesy Gerald Massey, October 2010
    Kingsville TX - Trinity Lutheran Church
    Trinity Lutheran Church
    Photo courtesy Gerald Massey, October 2010
    More Texas Churches
    Kingsville TX - Texas Theatre
    The former Texas Theater in downtown Kingsville
    Photo courtesy Gerald Massey, October 2010
    Kingsville TX -  Roy's theater

    Former Roy's Theatre
    Photos courtesy Barclay Gibson, September 2011
    More Texas Theatres

    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
    Kingsville barber shop & shoe repair
    Kingsville street scene
    TE photo October 2203
    Kleberg Public Library Bookmobile
    The Bookmobile
    TE photo October 2003

    Kingsville, Texas Area Towns:
    Corpus Christi
    See Kleberg County | Texas Gulf Coast

    Book Hotel Here:
    Kingsville Hotels | Corpus Christi Hotels | More Hotels

    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.

     


    All Texas Towns :
    Gulf Gulf Coast East East Texas North Central North Central Woutn Central South Panhandle Panhandle
    South South Texas Hill Hill Country West West Texas Ghost Ghost Towns counties COUNTIES

    TEXAS ESCAPES CONTENTS
    HOME | TEXAS ESCAPES ONLINE MAGAZINE | SEARCH SITE
    TEXAS TOWNS A-Z | TEXAS GHOST TOWNS A-Z | TEXAS COUNTIES

    Texas Hill Country | East Texas | Central Texas North | Central Texas South | West Texas | Texas Panhandle | South Texas | Texas Gulf Coast
    TRIPS | STATES PARKS | RIVERS | LAKES | DRIVES | FORTS | MAPS

    Texas Attractions
    TEXAS TOPICS
    People | Ghosts | Historic Trees | Cemeteries | Small Town Sagas | WWII | History | Texas Centennial | Black History | Art | Music | Animals | Books | Food
    COLUMNS : History, Humor, Topical and Opinion

    TEXAS ARCHITECTURE | IMAGES
    Courthouses | Jails | Churches | Gas Stations | Schoolhouses | Bridges | Theaters | Monuments/Statues | Depots | Water Towers | Post Offices | Grain Elevators | Lodges | Museums | Rooms with a Past | Gargoyles | Cornerstones | Pitted Dates | Stores | Banks | Drive-by Architecture | Signs | Ghost Signs | Old Neon | Murals | Then & Now
    Vintage Photos

    USA | MEXICO | HOTELS

    Privacy Statement | Disclaimer | Contributors | Staff | Contact TE
    Website Content Copyright Texas Escapes LLC. All Rights Reserved