KING RANCH

Who out there in Blog-land has never heard of the King Ranch please raise your hand?  What???? You have never heard of the King Ranch???? Where have you been??? 

The King Ranch is one of the largest in the world.  I have lived in Texas all my life and never visited the King Ranch, so yesterday, I decided to visit the King Ranch.  They do tours everyday.  You can go on the air conditioned bus tour which is about an hour or there is a wild animal tour. There are also night tours.  Depending on the tour will determine the price.  Our bus driver/tour guide was great and it was well worth the $15 ticket.  I would imagine that all of the guides would be just as good.

Here's how the story starts:

In the mid-1830s,  an eleven-year-old boy, Richard King, was indentured by his destitute family to a jeweler in New York City.

The jeweler was a difficult man and the boy, practically enslaved by him, was chafing under the man’s mistreatment. Nascent greatness would not be shackled or ever satisfied with such circumstances. At this tender age, the restless and adventuresome young Richard King made contacts on the Manhattan wharves and soon stowed away on a ship heading south – south toward his destiny.
Young Richard distinguished himself as a tireless worker and a fast learner with an ever-keen eye for opportunity. He rose quickly in the steam boating business on the Alabama and Florida rivers, becoming a captain. After moving to South Texas, he founded a steam boat line with his lifelong friend Mifflin Kenedy – setting up ports and moving goods and people along the lower Rio Grande River.

In the middle of the 19th century, Captain King traveled north from the Rio Grande to Corpus Christi. He traversed a region then known as the Wild Horse Desert and was captivated by it. His eye for an opportunity was at its sharpest when, after well over a hundred miles of riding over the wild lands, he and his party came to the cool, refreshing waters of Santa Gertrudis Creek. King saw that this place that nourished so much wildlife could also sustain domestic stock, and King’s vision for a great cattle ranch began to take shape.

He and business partner Gideon “Legs” Lewis purchased the 15,500-acre Mexican land grant then known as the Rincon de Santa Gertrudis – the first foothold of what would become the legendary King Ranch of Texas.

In the early days of the ranch there was a terrible drought in South Texas and Northern Mexico. Captain King traveled to the little hamlet of cruillas in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.

The townspeople were in such dire straits that they sold all of their cattle to him in an attempt to survive the drought. A short distance out of town, slowly driving the cattle north toward Texas, Captain King realized that, in solving an immediate problem for the people of Cruillas, he had simultaneously removed their long-term means of livelihood. He turned his horse back toward the town and made its people a proposition. He would provide them with food, shelter and income if they would move and come to work on his ranch. The townspeople conferred and many of them agreed to move north with Captain King.

Already expert stockmen and horsemen, these resilient denizens of the rugged Mexican range became known as Los Kineños – King’s people. They and many generations of their heirs would go on to weave a large portion of the historical tapestry of King Ranch. The expert Kineño cowboys now occupy a justifiably legendary place in the annals of the taming of the vast American West. The mystique of the Kineños is alive and well, and descendants of the original Cruillas residents still live and work on the ranch today – providing a vital link with the past and giving the ranch a key aspect of its unique atmosphere.  King even built a community (houses) for the Kineños' families to live and built schools for their children to attend.  Some of the families still live in those communities on the ranch.  A new school has been built and the old school has been turned into the court house in Kingsville.

By the end of the war between the states, King Ranch had grown to 146,000 acres – supporting thousands of head of cattle.

Getting these cattle to market was a real challenge, though, as some one thousand miles of dangerous wilderness stretched out between Captain King’s cattle and the midwestern railheads where they could be sold. Captain King’s domesticated longhorns were some of the very first hoof stock to comprise the early northward Texas cattle drives. Around this time, Captain King registered a brand that has since taken on mythic significance in the taming of the West – the famous “Running W”.

Richard King’s sense of adventure was rivaled only by his vision and ability to seize on new business opportunities. In addition to tirelessly working to improve the ranch, he invested in building railroads, packinghouses, ice plants and harbor improvements for the port of Corpus Christi. He was keen on creating the infrastructure that would get his product to market in the most efficient way possible. One of Captain King’s most important contributions to his ranch’s improvement was the outworking of his vision to improve his cattle and horse stock through an aggressive, thorough and studied upbreeding (breed improvement) program. By means of this program, King began to transform the hardscrabble longhorns and wild horses of his lands into the finest cattle and horses in Texas. Scientific upbreeding programs have been hallmarks of King Ranch since its inception, and they have paid off in spades.

The Civil War years found the resourceful Captain King thriving in his steamboat business by running the Union blockade, but his long-term vision was for the new ranch he was building. His bride Henrietta played an important role in guiding daily activities on the ranch when the Captain was away on business.

The 1860s were busy, challenging years for Richard King and his new bride Henrietta, the refined daughter of Presbyterian minister from back East. This refinement would become a hallmark of the remote ranch as weary wayfarers found, over the years, not only an impressive ranching operation, but an oasis of gentility and warm hospitality in the very midst of an otherwise wild and often hostile country.

During some legal proceedings in Corpus Christi in 1881, Captain King was so impressed with the opposing counsel that he sought him out after matters were settled. This young lawyer would soon be handling the lion’s share of the great rancher’s legal work. His interest would also light on a lovely young lady in the King household – the captain’s youngest daughter, Alice Gertrudis King. That young lawyer’s name was Robert Justus Kleberg, and he married Alice in 1886, during the year after Captain King’s death in 1885.

Robert Kleberg worked with Henrietta King, Captain King’s widow, to further develop and consolidate King Ranch. Among the many innovations for which he was responsible on the ranch, perhaps foremost among them were his efforts to drill for artesian water. These efforts paid off as Mr. Kleberg brought in a gusher of a water well in 1899, and then another and another – discovering a river of water running under the drought-prone rangelands. This discovery was a welcome end to a decade that started with a drought so severe it was known as “the great die-up.”

Robert J. Kleberg oversaw the building of cross fences that divided the vast acres into managed pastures. He established a concerted program to accelerate the breed improvement of horses and cattle on the ranch. He imported top equine stock and led efforts to develop a breed of cattle that could withstand the hot, harsh South Texas climate. He also initiated an aggressive mesquite-clearing program on the ranch.

The Texas Fever Tick created significant problems for the marketing of cattle from South Texas. Robert J. Kleberg designed the first cattle dipping vats to battle the tick. In addition to all of these accomplishments, Mr. Kleberg built a facility that was, for a time, the largest cattle rail operation in the world.

During this era, Robert J. Kleberg and Mrs. King continued to improve and diversify the assets of King Ranch with agricultural development, land sales, and town building projects. In 1904, their efforts were instrumental in helping to build the St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico Railway — as well as several towns along the newly laid track, including Kingsville. Before her death in 1925, Henrietta King had donated land and funds toward the construction of churches, libraries, and school projects (creating an oasis of community development) in this previously untamed land.

When their father’s health declined in the early twentieth century, two of the five children born to Robert J. and Alice King Kleberg assumed responsibility for the ranch. Richard Mifflin (Mr. Dick) Kleberg, Sr., who served as a seven-term member of the US Congress, handled the legal and financial aspects of the ranch. Robert Justus (Mr. Bob) Kleberg acted as head of the ranch’s operations and continued as President and CEO for the next fifty years.

It was during these transitional years that King Ranch made its name in animal husbandry. By crossbreeding Brahman bulls, native to India, with British Shorthorn stock, the ranch produced the Santa Gertrudis, recognized as the first American breed of beef cattle and the first cattle breed to be recognized in the world in more than a century. This breed of cattle continues to be recognized throughout the world for its fine beef quality and ability to withstand arid climates. Today, the Santa Gertrudis is the most prevalent cattle breed in Australia.  The Santa Gertrudis beef had quite a bit of marble in it.  When "the public" decided that marbled meat was not good for you, the King Ranch developed another new breed of cattle named the Santa Cruz.  It is a cross breed of the Santa Gertrudis and the Red Angus.  It is a much leaner beef.

This era also launched the famed King Ranch horse legacy. Acquiring and breeding superior foundation stallions, the King Ranch Quarter Horse program produced the number one registration (WIMPY) in the American Quarter Horse Association Stud Book and Registry, as well as the youngest horse (MR SAN PEPPY) ever to be inducted into the National Cutting Horse Association Hall of Fame. It was also at this time that King Ranch acquired the prized Thoroughbred stallions that went on to produce, among others, ASSAULT, 1946 winner of the prestigious Triple Crown, and MIDDLEGROUND, the 1950 winner of the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.

For the country as well as the Klebergs, these were challenging years, plagued by debt, taxes, and an economy just emerging from the Great Depression. In 1934, Alice King Kleberg consolidated much of the ranch property into a corporation, with her children as stockholders. During the thirties the family successfully negotiated several long-term leases with Humble Oil and Refining Company (now ExxonMobil) for oil and gas rights to the 1.15 million acres of King Ranch property.

In 1940, Dick Kleberg, Jr., joined his father, Mr. Dick, and his uncle, Mr. Bob, in managing King Ranch. Together, they initiated a series of innovations that kept King Ranch successful and at the leading edge of the ranching industry.

This era saw the development of mechanized brush control methods and innovative corrals for working cattle. King Ranch also developed new and better grasses and began using mineral supplements to improve animal health. Modern game management and wildlife conservation practices were expanded, and continue to benefit the ranch today.

Oil and gas royalties drove another growth spurt for King Ranch during this period. After World War II, the ranch’s agricultural business was extended, in part to expand the national and global presence of the Santa Gertrudis breed. Acquisitions came through the purchase of property in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, and West Texas, and through joint ventures and partnerships in Florida. Management developed ranching operations overseas with land purchases in Argentina, Cuba, Brazil, Australia, Venezuela, Spain, and Morocco. The systematic and ambitious expansion of this period – in agriculture, energy, and real estate, together with expanded retail operations – created the platform for the business segments of King Ranch today.

The King Ranch today comprises 825,000 acres of land.  After Fidel Castro seized and took possession of their land in Cuba, they started selling all of their foreign land and now only own land in the United States.  The ranch was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961.

So, if you are ever in the vicinity of Kingsville, Texas.  Go visit the King Ranch.  It is very interesting and well worth the tour.

See the running W on the water tower

and on the flag.......

Mr. W and I

The chuckwagon

Mr. W practicing roping a cow :)

Some equipment that was developed to help clear brush on the ranch.

Santa Gertrudis cows

 

Arena where they use to have auctions.  Did you know that cattle auctions are mostly held online through the internet now?

Backside of the arena.  Once a year, they have the ranch hand breakfast here and they feed nearly 3,000 people.  It also becomes a big festival for the entire city of Kingsville.

This building is in the back of the main house.  Richard King's office was in this building.

Hard to see, but front side of the main house.

Back side of the main house

Yikes! These signs are EVERYWHERE. 

SEAWIND RV PARK

We met a couple last summer at Marina Village.  They are originally from Massachusetts (Yes, don't hold it against them :).  However, they have lived in Texas for many years (Their saving grace).  They are Beth and Rich.  They are a great couple and we became friends.

Beth and Rich had arranged to spend January and February in Seawind RV Park outside of Kingsville, TX around Riviera Beach.  It is actually located on one of the fingers of Baffin Bay. They found out that we were going to be in the valley and asked us to come see them on our way back to H-town.  So, we did.

We got to Seawind on Tuesday.  The park is nice.  The sites are not too close together.  The people are very friendly and there are activities too.  They give discounts for Good Sam and Passport America.  We are staying here for a week and with our Passport America discount, we are paying $122 for the week.  I think Beth and Rich are paying around $300 or $350 a month plus electricity.

There is a county park sort of semi-attached to this park.  There is a lighted fishing pier, a playground, and a public boat ramp.  There is a lot of fishing going on down here.  Mr. W is going tomorrow with one of the guys in the park that has a boat.  This guy has been taking people almost everyday out fishing and everyone has been catching their limit.  We will see how it goes.

We went to eat at Baffin Bay Seafood Restaurant tonight and it was absolutely delicious.  Tomorrow night the park gets together and lights the really big grill.  Everyone brings whatever they want to cook on the grill and the park provides baked potatoes for everyone.  I've got my steaks ready!

Here's a picture of the sunset I get to see for the next week.

This park is not on the highway.   As a matter of fact, it is about 8 or 9 miles off the highway.  You really have to know it is there because you won't just happen upon it.  But, it is a nice park and well worth staying at.

PICKLEBALL

Pickleball is a racquet sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis. Two or four players use solid paddles made of wood or composite materials to hit a perforated polymer ball, similar to a whiffle ball, over a net. The sport shares features of other racquet sports, the dimensions and layout of a badminton court, and a net and rules similar to tennis, with a few modifications. Pickleball was invented in the mid 1960s as a children's backyard pastime but quickly became popular among adults as a fun game for players of all levels.

The game started during the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, at the home of then State Representative Joel Pritchard who, in 1970, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for the State of Washington. He and two of his friends, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum, returned from golf and found their families bored one Saturday afternoon. They attempted to set up badminton, but no one could find the shuttlecock. They improvised with a whiffle ball, lowered the badminton net, and fabricated paddles of plywood from a nearby shed.

Although some sources claim that the name "Pickleball" was derived from that of the Pritchard's family dog, Pickles, other sources state that the claim is false, and that the name came from the term "pickle boat", referring to the last boat to return with its catch. According to Joan Pritchard, Joel Pritchard's wife, the name came "after I said it reminded me of the Pickle Boat in crew where oarsmen were chosen from the leftovers of other boats. Somehow the idea the name came from our dog Pickles was attached to the naming of the game, but Pickles wasn't on the scene for two more years. The dog was named for the game."

Today, the game is played on a smooth, hard surface, usually concrete, blacktop or a gymnasium floor. The court resembles a tennis court, but its net is a bit lower. It doesn’t have alleys for doubles (although the game is often played in doubles), and at about half the size of a tennis court, it is more like a badminton court. The ball is hard, hollow and perforated, a modified whiffle ball.

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Like table tennis, pickleball is played with a paddle, about 8 inches wide and 15 inches long, including the handle, faced with plywood, graphite or composite. In singles or doubles, players serve underhand and diagonally from one side of the baseline, then the other. The ball must bounce before the serve is returned, and, unlike in tennis, the return, too, must bounce. Then volleying, or hitting midair before a bounce, can begin.

 

Pickleball's growth is mainly in the 55 and over crowd. In 2014, the USA Pickleball Association (yes, there is one) registered 150,000 active players which is triple the amount in 2010. The play can be dainty and slow, or it can be fast and ferocious. Pickleball’s appeal to older adults lies in its kindness to joints and bones. Most play doubles, so they can hit most balls within one or two steps. In 2013, it was added to the National Senior Games (yes, there are those too) and it was the first new game to be added in 20 years.

 

So, what self-respecting 55 and older community would not have a pickleball court?  That is exactly what most of the parks in the valley think and Tropic Winds is one of them.  They actually have 4 courts and believe me, the courts stay pretty full.

 

Mr. W went one morning to play and learned very quickly and the guys playing were S-E-R-I-O-U-S about their pickleball playing.  Fortunately for Mr. W, he is very athletic and picks up new sports quickly.  He held his own and even was asked to come back and play with them sometime.  He was hooked. 

 

After some investigating, we found out, if you are new, you come out after 11:00 and more relaxed, not so serious, players will occupy the courts and it is more about fun instead of competition.  OK, now there's my group of people.  Now I'm hooked.

 

We had gone to Academy and purchased some "beginner" paddles.  After playing a few rounds, we quickly realized that we needed to buy some better paddles.  We lucked out and went back to Academy to find that they had marked their better paddles down half price so we snatched up the last 2.  I'm sure these paddles are going to improve our game to the point that the S-E-R-I-O-U-S people will be begging us to play with them! (OK, so maybe I like a little competition)  :)

 

Anyway, we met a couple who liked playing, were about the same level of players as we were, and we started going to play in the evenings after it cooled off.  (It has been in the 90s here.)  However, you can hear the ball being hit from quite a distance.  So, anytime we were playing, people would be walking by and at least 1 person would go get their paddle and come join us.  It never ended up just being the 4 of us playing.

 

One caution, the court is not made for you to slide.  Your feet grip. So be careful if you try it.  I fell.  I know you are saying "so what else is new" because I can fall on any kind of surface.  But, I'm lucky I didn't break something or hurt myself worse than I did.  I did have to skip playing for a couple of days.  We may not touch our paddles until we get back next year, but it was fun and we can't wait!

 

 

 Pickleball court

Our new, "better" paddle

 

Here are some random pictures of Tropic Winds.

 

The Pavillion area 

 The pool

 The bath house.  It is in the pool area so you can shower off before you get in the pool and/or after you get out of the pool.

 The office

 This is the main hall where most of the activities took place.  They were setting up for a dinner. I will say that this place had it going on with how to serve a lot of people in a short period of time.

This is Bonnie, the activity director.  She does a great job and she is a funny, lovely person.



A MESSAGE FROM A NEIGHBOR

In case you haven't noticed, I have gotten very slack in writing this blog.  One of my friends, who was also a neighbor, messaged me today and told me to "get to writing."  That message made me smile.

You know, on one hand, I enjoy telling everyone about where I am and what I'm doing.  If I'm having a good time being there and/or doing what I'm doing, I think everyone will enjoy hearing about it.  In reality, most people probably think that most of my posts are pretty boring and just because I like what I'm doing or where I am, not everyone thinks it is so great.  So, I let myself have this mindset.  But, I think the real the truth is, I got lazy and started making excuses. 

I believe if you write a blog, you should include pictures and I didn't want to have to carry my camera around everywhere I went anymore.  It also involves downloading the pictures and inserting them in the blog.  And, it involves sitting down and putting my thoughts into words.  Not just any words, but words that describe where I am and what I'm doing AND are interesting enough to make you want to read the blog.  I think that has involved more "brainwork" than I have been willing to do lately.

I am also doing some of the same things right now that I did last year and I don't think you want me to repeat what I wrote last year.  However, you probably don't remember what I did last year so it probably wouldn't make any difference. See, another excuse.

You know, the blog isn't just for you.  I started it for friends and family to keep up with where we were and also so I would have a record for where we've been.  So, even if I really didn't think that my blog wasn't very interesting to read, I should really keep on doing it for my own records. It is kind of nice to go back and read some of my blogs and look at the pictures and remember the wonderful time I had.

So, I'm leaving Harlingen on Tuesday.  We are going to Kingsville which isn't too far from here.  We have some friends staying there and they wanted us to come over and stay a few days with them.  While I'm there, I will make a great BIG effort to start writing my blog again on a regular basis. 

By the way, if you are a Thousand Trails member, the park I am staying at right now (Tropic Winds) is doing an early bird special for next year.  Thousand Trails members can rent 3 months for $999 total plus electricity.  That is $333 a month! That is a great deal for this park and for all the great facilities and activities happening here.  The early bird special ends March 15th.  If you are interested, you should call.

OK Jan.  I will try to do better.  Thanks for making me smile today.

RIVER BEND RESORT AND GOLF CLUB

I have spent the last week at River Bend Resort and Golf Club in Brownsville, TX.  I have to say that this is a beautiful park and it is very well manicured and maintained. 

Rancho Viejo developer Ted Trap originally owned River Bend in order to link Rancho to a raw water source from the Rio Grande River. River Bend development started in 1983 by Lou Falley, George Ketzenberg, and John Berryman. Originally established as a 9 hole course River Bend was expanded to a 18 hole Championship course in 1985. They can accommodate your overnight RV rental as well as provide a place for your permanent  residence. The name is derived from the huge bend in the Rio Grande River that borders the resort and provides the property with a lush tropical setting.

In 2015 the Barnard Family purchased River Bend. The Barnard family has been a part of the Rio Grande Valley for many years as the owners of Coastal Realty. Coastal Realty is the largest volume, full service commercial real estate firm serving Cameron County.

There is a 2 street cul-de-sac where all of the RVers park.  The site we are in looks out on the driving range for the golf course.  You can also see hole #3 in the distance from where we are. 

The driving range

This community is made up of "sticks and bricks" homes, garden homes, park model homes, and RV lots.  You purchase any of the above and it becomes your residence here.  There are quite a few lots/park models that the owners rent out.  You can rent an RV pad from the owner but most of them will only rent it monthly.  I've heard from several people here that pretty much all the rentals are rented this year and those places that are for sale are selling this year.  There is an HOA and you pay the normal stuff that you pay when you own property in Texas.  But, Cameron county/Brownsville is the poorest county in the state and the taxes are cheap compared to most other places in Texas. A man in the pool yesterday that owns a home here told a group that I was in something that I had never heard of before.  He said that in the state of Texas, if you homestead your home and you pay really low school taxes, when you sell your home and if you buy another home in another county that has higher school taxes, you can go to the county courthouse to file a homestead on your new home and take a copy of the school taxes you paid at the old home and a copy of your homestead on the old home and you can never be charged the higher rate of school taxes from county to county.  I hope I explained that where it makes sense.

Here's his example:
He bought a house here in Cameron county.  He filed a homestead on this house and is paying around $1,100 a year in school taxes.  He sold his house and bought another one in Katy, TX and it is in Harris county.  He went to the courthouse to file a homestead on this home.  He took a copy of the homestead and a copy of the school taxes he paid in Cameron county and that is the amount he now pays in Katy.  The normal rate of school taxes on the value of his property in Katy would normally have him paying $4,000 a year in school taxes.

Have any of you heard this?  I need to look this up.  I'm not sure if this applies to everyone, only those over 65, if it is indeed school taxes or all property taxes total, etc.  Texas does not have a state income tax and we don't charge very much to license your vehicles.  But, Texas gets you in property taxes.  I'm sure no one at the court house is going to voluntarily tell you about this law if it does exist.  So, I really do need to look into this.  I'll let you know what I find out.

Back to River Bend.  You can stay here by the night and it is $28 per night.  It is $175 for the week and $700 for the month.  You can also get packages that include limitless golf with your stay.  That little extra will cost you $45 per night if staying nightly and $950 for the month if you are staying for a month.  I forgot what it is by the week.  We are staying here on our Coast to Coast membership and it is costing us $10 per night.  Mr. W played golf one day and booked it on line during twilight rates (after 2:00) and I think with cart and everything, paid around $30.  He also bought some range balls one day and took to the driving range before his game of golf.  We asked if I could ride in the cart while he played since he was playing by himself.  If we wanted to pay $10 extra, I could have ridden in the cart.  I enjoyed my day of solitude.

The weather has been awesome.  Yesterday, it was 85 degrees here and we went to the pool.  It was crowded but felt good to be in the sun and in the water.  There is a pool, a Jacuzzi, tennis courts, and a club house (not the golf club house).  But, after reading their newsletter, there is very little organized happenings in this place.  I finally met a couple of people at the pool and from our conversation, the residents here get together with each other and do things.  They don't really participate in anything organized. 

Mr. W was and I guess still is pretty sold on this place.  It is not somewhere that I would want to buy.  However, after meeting a few of the people yesterday, I might could entertain thoughts of maybe one day being here or at least visiting here again next year.

There is a large high school right across the highway from here.  I'm guessing it is the golf teams that come over here every afternoon and practice on the driving range.  It is kind of neat to see these young people out practicing and doing something they enjoy with dreams of what their future might be.  I always look at them wondering who the next golf superstar will be.  Why couldn't it be one of them?

We bought some wild caught shrimp today at the Brownsville coastal area.  They are big and headless already.  I can't wait to taste them.  I'm just having trouble deciding how I want to cook them.  I got the urge to buy shrimp and cook it after we ate lunch at the original Oyster Bar in downtown Brownsville today.  The lady who owns it came to our table and told us a little bit about their history.  Her grandfather opened the restaurant in that location in 1965.  Their claim to fame is the shrimp and oysters.  Their shrimp is wild and caught in the gulf.  It was excellent.  They actually now have 2 restaurants in Brownsville, 1 in Weslaco, 1 in Harlingen, and one getting ready to open on South Padre Island.  Well worth the visit if you are in the area.

We are heading back to Harlingen tomorrow and will be staying at Tropic Winds again.  I will be glad to get back and get back to the hustle and bustle. 

 

Cul-de-sac where RVs stay

This is a park model home that was right behind our RV

Cart path and the Rio Grand river

 

This is the tee box for what I think is hole #3.  You can see the RVs in the distance.

One of the streets through the park.  You can see how there are a lot of park models on this street.

The club house.  There is a pool, laundry, a big common area, a small library of used books, and I'm not sure what else.

Looking at the Rio Grande from the swimming pool.  The Mexicans here all call it the Rio Bravo because that was what it was called when Mexico owned this land.  That little fact and practice has irritated Mr. W quite a bit. :)
 

The pool area