Kingsville, Texas

Coordinates: 27°30′54″N 97°51′56″W / 27.51500°N 97.86556°W / 27.51500; -97.86556
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Kingsville, Texas
FIPS code
48-39352[3]
GNIS feature ID1374386[4]
Websitewww.cityofkingsville.com

Kingsville is a city in the southern region of the

2020 census, and in 2022 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population at 24,833.[5]

Named in honor of

jet aviation training
.

History

Kingsville, 1908
Kingsville, c. 1910s
Kingsville, 2011

The history of Kingsville is closely intertwined with the city's main creek, the Santa Gertrudis. The first recorded inhabitants of the area were the Coahuiltecan Malaquites, surviving on seafood from nearby Baffin Bay, with settlements along the Santa Getrudis and San Fernando creeks, and the Cayo del Grullo branch of Baffin Bay.[7] Large herds of mustangs roamed the south Texas plains, often drinking from the waters of spring fed creeks in and around present-day Kingsville.[8] In 1803, Jose Lorenzo de la Garza established a settlement along the Santa Gertrudis. In 1846, General Zachary Taylor and his army camped along the banks of the Santa Gertrudis prior to their campaign into Mexico. In 1899, after many failed attempts, King ranch manager Robert J. Kleberg, Jr., was finally able to tap into an underground lake of water.[9] The discovery of readily accessible water paved the way for a future settlement next to the ranch.

20th Century

With the continued growth of the

Rio Grande Valley to the rest of Texas, and to serve the King Ranch. At the turn of the 20th century, Henrietta King, widow of Richard King, deeded a portion of the ranch to entice the construction of a town and to bring a railroad adjacent to the ranch.[6] Robert J. Kleberg, Jr. formed the Kleberg Town and Improvement Company in 1903, tasked with planning and constructing the town, at the bequest of his mother-in-law, Henrietta.[6] In 1904, the community was planned three miles (4.8 km) from the King Ranch headquarters and was named in honor of the founder of the King Ranch, Richard King. The community would also house the headquarters of the newly formed St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway, a deal that was reached with railroad magnate Benjamin Yoakum.[10] The first buildings were constructed, track was laid through the town, and the first train passed through Kingsville on July 4, 1904, considered the founding date of the city. Kingsville's first post office was also established that year.[11]

By the close of the first decade of the 20th century, Kingsville already had a thriving business scene, with an active commercial club, that was the forerunner of the city's

Kleberg County.[6] Around 1920, oil and natural gas were discovered near Kingsville, leading to the city's first population boom.[13]

Segregationalist policies and

Anglo-American community in the center of the city along the downtown region.[12] Common practice in Anglo-American controlled towns in South Texas, in the early 20th century, was to create segregated neighborhoods, evidenced by the planning of separate schools and churches for the three segregated communities.[14] The Ku Klux Klan had a presence in the town, boosting a mayor to election in 1922, and was responsible for the lynching of a visiting African-American physician from nearby Bishop in 1923.[12]

In 1925, the South Texas Teachers College opened, one of only six

normal schools in the entire state of Texas at the time, and the only south of College Station, Texas. The effort to open the school, led by King Ranch heir Caesar Kleberg and the city's commercial club, had been delayed due to political considerations in the state legislature, and funding issues from World War I.[12]
Later changing its name in 1929 to the Texas College of Arts and Industries (Texas A&I), then to Texas A&I University in 1967, the university went on to adopt its current name,
Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy
, the doctorate of pharmacy program for the Texas A&M University system.

During the national defense build up to World War II, local civic leaders and Congressman Richard Kleberg, another heir to the King Ranch, lobbied the War Department to choose Kingsville and other South Texas communities as a future site for a military airfield.[15] In 1941, a naval air station opened in nearby Corpus Christi, after lobbying efforts by Congressman Kleberg, and began training pilots for the Navy and Marine Corps. Following Pearl Harbor and the United States' entry into the war, the need for increased pilot training and additional auxiliary airfields led to the Navy selecting Kingsville as the site of one, among several other municipalities.[16] Plans were drawn up in 1941 and, in 1942, the U.S. Navy opened the new training airfield, Naval Air Auxiliary Station Kingsville, just to the east of town.[16] Following World War II, the field was placed into a mothball status, but reopened shortly thereafter in 1951, and has been continuously operating since.[17] NAS Kingsville is one of three major Naval Aviation jet training facilities for the Navy, and has had a significant impact on the economy and Kingsville's history.[13]

Several major industries have called Kingsville home throughout the city's history. In 1944, the

Exxon, relocated a district office to Kingsville due to the city's close proximity to nearby oil fields.[6] Population steadily increased in Kingsville, peaking at just under 30,000 residents in the mid-1980s.[13] Since that time, the city has experienced a mild economic slump, with the closing of Exxon's district office, decreased enrollment at the university, and the decreased economic impact of the petroleum industry all cited as factors for the city's decline.[6]

Geography

Kingsville is located in

cacti. Several creeks, fed by fresh-water springs, run through the city, including the San Fernando, Santa Gertrudis, and Escondido Creeks, all feeding into Baffin Bay
.

Ragland Mercantile Company Building, in downtown Kingsville
Damage from Tropical Storm Hermine in 2010

Kingsville is located in the historic Wild Horse Desert, an area of South Texas and northern Mexico where enormous herds of wild mustangs roamed. Due to water pumping and other environmental factors, the abundance of spring-fed creeks has decreased.[7] Wildlife surrounding Kingsville include deer, wild turkey, and javelinas. Additionally, Kingsville is a winter home to a large number of waterfowl species, including geese, ducks, and pelicans. The city is surrounded by farmland producing various crops including cotton and sorghum. The terrain around Kingsville is generally flat, with an elevation of 59 feet above sea level at city center.

The city was planned in a

Henrietta M. King High School
, which was recently renovated and houses the offices of the city government today.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Category 4 hurricane made landfall at Baffin Bay and directly hit Kingsville, inflicting nearly $100,000 of damage.[19] Illinois' Governor Edward Fitzsimmons Dunne, who had been in the state inspecting Army camps along the Texas-Mexico border, was marooned in Kingsville overnight during the storm.[20]

Climate data for Kingsville, Texas, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1951–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 94
(34) 		101
(38) 		103
(39) 		108
(42) 		107
(42) 		111
(44) 		107
(42) 		108
(42) 		111
(44) 		101
(38) 		98
(37) 		93
(34) 		111
(44)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 84.5
(29.2) 		89.0
(31.7) 		92.8
(33.8) 		96.6
(35.9) 		97.6
(36.4) 		100.3
(37.9) 		101.3
(38.5) 		102.4
(39.1) 		99.3
(37.4) 		94.9
(34.9) 		89.4
(31.9) 		85.4
(29.7) 		104.5
(40.3)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 68.4
(20.2) 		72.4
(22.4) 		77.8
(25.4) 		84.2
(29.0) 		88.9
(31.6) 		93.7
(34.3) 		95.5
(35.3) 		96.7
(35.9) 		91.7
(33.2) 		86.1
(30.1) 		77.1
(25.1) 		70.3
(21.3) 		83.6
(28.7)
Daily mean °F (°C) 57.5
(14.2) 		61.8
(16.6) 		67.3
(19.6) 		73.8
(23.2) 		79.6
(26.4) 		84.4
(29.1) 		85.6
(29.8) 		86.4
(30.2) 		82.0
(27.8) 		75.2
(24.0) 		66.2
(19.0) 		59.6
(15.3) 		73.3
(22.9)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 46.6
(8.1) 		51.2
(10.7) 		56.9
(13.8) 		63.4
(17.4) 		70.3
(21.3) 		75.1
(23.9) 		75.8
(24.3) 		76.1
(24.5) 		72.4
(22.4) 		64.2
(17.9) 		55.3
(12.9) 		48.9
(9.4) 		63.0
(17.2)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 31.2
(−0.4) 		34.7
(1.5) 		38.8
(3.8) 		46.4
(8.0) 		57.2
(14.0) 		68.6
(20.3) 		70.8
(21.6) 		70.9
(21.6) 		61.8
(16.6) 		46.1
(7.8) 		36.9
(2.7) 		31.0
(−0.6) 		28.2
(−2.1)
Record low °F (°C) 11
(−12) 		17
(−8) 		24
(−4) 		33
(1) 		40
(4) 		54
(12) 		63
(17) 		60
(16) 		47
(8) 		32
(0) 		27
(−3) 		10
(−12) 		10
(−12)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.51
(38) 		1.25
(32) 		1.94
(49) 		1.49
(38) 		3.99
(101) 		2.95
(75) 		2.25
(57) 		2.80
(71) 		6.04
(153) 		3.29
(84) 		1.92
(49) 		1.52
(39) 		30.95
(786)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.1
(0.25) 		0.1
(0.25)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 7.0 6.3 6.2 5.5 5.9 5.5 5.1 4.9 9.6 5.2 6.3 6.0 73.5
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Source 1: NOAA[21]
Source 2: National Weather Service[22]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19204,770—
19306,81542.9%
19407,78214.2%
195016,898117.1%
196025,29749.7%
197028,99514.6%
198029,9493.3%
199025,276−15.6%
200025,5751.2%
201026,2132.5%
202025,402−3.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[23]

In 2009, the population density of Kingsville was 1,848.8 inhabitants per square mile (713.8/km2). There were 10,427 housing units, with an average density of 753.8 per square mile (291.0/km2).

2020 census

Kingsville racial composition[24]
(NH = Non-Hispanic)[a]
Race Number Percentage
White
(NH) 		4,891 19.25%
Black or African American
(NH) 		966 3.8%
Alaska Native
(NH) 		68 0.27%
Asian (NH) 759 2.99%
Pacific Islander (NH) 1 0.0%
Some Other Race (NH) 81 0.32%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) 360 1.42%
Hispanic or Latino 18,276 71.95%
Total 25,402

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 25,402 people, 9,399 households, and 5,813 families residing in the city.

2007-2011 ACS 5-Year Estimate

There were 25,994 residents[27] in 9,103 households, and 5,837 families living in the city.[28] 1,192 housing units were vacant.[29] The rental vacancy rate was 9.3 percent while the homeowner vacancy rate was 3.9 percent.[29] 57.1 percent of all housing units were built between 1950 and 1979.[29] Only 9.9 percent were built in 2000 or later.[29] The median value of an owner-occupied unit was $69,500.[29]

Of the 9,103 households, 36.5 percent had children under the age of 18.[28] 40.6 percent were married couples living together, 17.5 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9 percent were non-families.[28] 25.0 percent of all households were made up of single individuals, and 8.5 percent had someone living alone who was aged 65 or above.[28] The average household size was 2.67, and the average family size was 3.26.[28]

The racial makeup of the city was 83.3 percent

Latinos of any race made up 72.4 percent of the population.[27]

The population was spread out, with 30.1 percent under 20 years of age, 39.2 percent aged 20 to 44, 18.9 percent aged 45 to 64, and 11.9 percent aged 65 or above.[27] The median age was 27.6.[27] For every 100 females, there were 106.5 males.[27] For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 107.3 males.[27] For every 100 females aged 18 to 64, there were 114.1 males.[27] For every 100 females aged 65 and over, there were 74.2 males.[27]

The median household income in the city was $33,785, and that for a family was $43,167.[30] Males had a median income of $44,854 versus $26,447 for females.[30] The per capita income for the city was $18,271.[30] About 20.0 percent of families and 27.7 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.7 percent of those under 18 and 12.0 percent of those aged 65 or over.[30] The unemployment rate expressed as a percentage of persons aged 16 and over, was 6.7 percent.[30] The unemployment rate, when expressed as a percentage of labor force participants aged 16 and over, was 11.4 percent.[30]

Economy

The main economic driving forces in the city and the surrounding region are agriculture, oil and natural gas production, chemical refining, tourism, and the military. Westwater Resources owns and operates one of only a handful of uranium mines in Texas in Kingsville. The mine, called the Kingsville Dome mine and processing plant, has operated on and off between 1989 and 2009, and produced nearly 4.2 million pounds of uranium through an in situ recovery process, pulling uranium from groundwater.[31] NAS Kingsville has had a large economic impact on the city since it opened in 1942. Today, an estimated one in seven residents of the Kingsville area are in some way associated with the base. The base employs just over 1,600 residents.[15]

Government

In the United States House of Representatives, Kingsville is in Texas's 34th congressional district, represented by Democrat Vicente Gonzalez.[32]

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Due to the structure and zoning of Texas

Henrietta M. King High School operated by KISD, and Academy High School operated by SGISD. Ricardo ISD high school students move on to Kaufer Early College High School, which is operated by Riviera Independent School District.[34] Other KISD schools include Memorial Middle, John S. Gillett Intermediate, and A.D. Harvey, Alice G.K. Kleberg, Jesus R. Perez, and N.M. Harrel elementary schools. Additionally, KISD operates the Pogue Options Alternative Academy. SGISD operates one elementary and junior high school, the Santa Gertrudis School. In 2018, KISD received an 'F' rating from the Texas Education Agency, and no grade for 2019, due to data integrity.[35] Conversely, SGSID received a grade of 'A' for both 2018 and 2019.[36]

Private schools include the Epiphany Episcopal School, Christian Life Academy, and the Presbyterian Pan American School.

St. Gertrude the Great School of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi was formerly in Kingsville. The school closed in 2019.[37] It was the final Catholic school in the Kingsville region.[38]

Tertiary education

Bell tower atop College Hall, Texas A&M University-Kingsville

The main campus of

Texas A&M Health Science Center
) is located on the campus of TAMUK.

Under Texas law, the Kingsville ISD, Santa Gertrudis ISD, and Ricardo ISD areas are all in the boundary of Coastal Bend College (referred to in legislation under its former name, "Bee County College").[39] Coastal Bend College has a campus in Kingsville offering several certificate and associate degree programs.[40]

Infrastructure

Transportation

Highways

  • Interstate 69E
    )
  • State Highway 141

Air travel

Railway

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  2. ^ "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2022". United States Census Bureau. June 15, 2023. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  3. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. ^ "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2022". Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h "Kingsville, TX". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  7. ^ a b Bruce, Gunnar (2002). Springs of Texas, Volume 1. Texas: Texas A&M University Press. pp. 277–278.
  8. ^ Sault, Spring (April 29, 2019). "The Wild Horse Desert of Texas: What Happened to 1 Million Wild Horses?". Texas Hill Country. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  9. ^ Allison, Pat (2011). Images of America Kingsville. Arcardia Publishing.
  10. ^ van Kleef, Alisa. "Robert Justus Kleberg II". Immigrant Entrepreneurship. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  11. ^ "About Kingsville". City of Kingsville. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  12. ^ a b c d Hunter, Cecilia; Hunter, Leslie (July 1, 2000). Texas A&M University Kingsville. Arcadia Publishing. p. 10.
  13. ^ a b c "Kingsville, Texas". TexasEscapes. Texas Escapes. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  14. ^ Anders, Evan (1982). Boss Rule in South Texas: The Progressive Era. Austin: University of Texas.
  15. ^ a b Ramirez, Chris (July 2017). "Naval Air Station Kingsville commissioned 75 years ago". Navy Times. Military Times. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  16. ^ a b "History - 1940s". Naval Air Station Kingsville. U.S. Navy. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  17. ^ "History - 1950s". Naval Air Station Kingsville. U.S. Navy. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  18. ^ "Kingsville, Texas Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)". Weatherbase.
  19. ^ "Corpus Christi in Path". L'Observateur. Vol. 4, no. 33. Reserve, Louisiana. August 26, 1916. p. 2. Retrieved August 1, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Hurricane Thrills Were Experienced by Gov. E. F. Dunne". The Houston Post. Vol. 31, no. 138. Houston, Texas. August 20, 1916. p. 1. Retrieved August 1, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Kingsville, TX". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  22. ^ "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Corpus Christi". National Weather Service. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  23. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  24. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  25. ^ https://www.census.gov/ [not specific enough to verify]
  26. ^ "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  27. ^ a b c d e f g h i Bureau, U. S. Census. "American FactFinder - Results". factfinder.census.gov. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  28. ^ a b c d e Bureau, U. S. Census. "American FactFinder - Results". factfinder.census.gov. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  29. ^ a b c d e Bureau, U. S. Census. "American FactFinder - Results". factfinder.census.gov. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  30. ^ a b c d e f Kingsville, Texas, 2007-11 Five Year Estimate, American Community Survey, United States Census Bureau
  31. ^ "Kingsville Dome". Westwater Resources. Archived from the original on September 27, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  32. ^ "Texas's 34th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC.
  33. U.S. Census Bureau
    . Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  34. ^ "Recruitment Plan, Events, and Timeline" (PDF). Kaufer Early College High School. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 28, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  35. ^ "Overview". Kingsville ISD. Texas Education Agency. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  36. ^ "Overview". Santa Gertrudis ISD. Texas Education Agency. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  37. Caller Times. Corpus Christi, Texas
    . Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  38. KIII-TV
    . May 20, 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  39. ^ Texas Education Code,Sec. 130.167. BEE COUNTY COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.
  40. ^ "Welcome to Coastal Bend College - Kingsville Site". Coastal Bend College. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  41. ^ Savage, Charlie; Blinder, Alan (June 26, 2018). "Reality Winner, N.S.A. Contractor Accused in Leak, Pleads Guilty". The New York Times. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  1. ^ Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.[25][26]

External links

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