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RICARDO,
TEXASKleberg
County, Texas Gulf Coast
Highway 77
6 miles S of Kingsville
Population:
120 (2000) |
| | Ricardo
school buses
and grain elevator
Photo by John Troesser |
History
in a Pecan shell
The St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway built
a siding that received a depot (1908) at the request of Robert Kleberg, Sr. The
station was named Richard, but was soon changed to the Spanish form of Ricardo.
63,000 acres of the King Ranch were put up for sale and by 1917 it was
all sold.
Cotton was the main crop and by 1915, J. O. Newton established
the town's first gin. By 1931 15,000 acres were planted in cotton.
In
1912 a general mercantile store was opened. A school was built in 1913.
In 1913 Jersey cows were introduced into the area and milk and cream was sold
to a waiting market at Kingsville. The cow population increased throughout the
1929s and 30s.
Truck farming was established, but grew slowly.
In 1941electricity reached Ricardo.
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| | Ricardo,
Texas looking north
Photo by John
Troesser |
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Ricardo
school mascot
Photo
by John Troesser | |
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