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Richard King
Richard King (1824-1885) was a Irish river man, who worked with
Captain Joe Holland's steamboat, and a number of Florida steamboat for
the Second Seminole War. By 1842, King was working on the steamboats
on the Apalachicola and Chattahoochee rivers, where he attained a
pilot's rating. In 1843, King first met his future business partner in
the King Ranch, Mifflin Kenedy (1818-1895), captain of the steamboat
Champion.
In September of 1852 Richard King purchased the Rincón de
Santa Gertrudis grant, a 15,500 acres . In 1854, King and Lewis
purchased the de la Garza Santa Gertrudis grant from Praxides Uribe of
Matamoros for $1,800, on the condition of a perfected title (complete
documentation of the land grant) on May 20, 1854 to 53,000 acres
As the years passed, more land was added, growing to 1.2 million acres
at its largest extent, until reaching its current total.
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The Jewish Lawyer
Robert Justus Kleberg embedded himself in the ranch affairs, and
romanced the captain's youngest daughter, Alice Gertrudis King. That
young lawyer married Alice in 1886, during the year after Captain
King's mysterious death in 1885.
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Often Dressed Up
Mr Kleberg, who never rode a horse, often dressed up and had
numerous portraits painted.
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Today's Klebergs
The Klebergs became a famous family of Texas
politicians.
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Congressman Kleberg
Congressman Richard Kleberg, heir to the fabled King Ranch. Kleberg
was a rich playboy who played poker, went to horse races, and traveled
to Mexico, Johnson made speeches on his behalf, handled constituent
complaints, ran the office, and instructed Kleberg, whom he called
"Chief," how to vote.
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