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The honorific "Los Kinenos" or "King's People," represents generations of men and women who have lived and worked on the King Ranch. The origins of the Kinenos begin during an 1850s cattle-buying trip to Cruillas, a village in Tamaulipas, Mexico, in which Captain Richard King (1824-1885) purchased the village's entire herd. When the residents told King the herd was a major source of sustenance for the village, King offered them a deal. He knew that since the 1700s, Mexican ranch hands had developed a reputation for excellence and hard work. King proposed that the villagers would help him drive the cattle back to Santa Gertrudis and stay to live and work with him on King Ranch. In turn, he would supply them housing, food, steady wages and education for their children. More than 100 men, women, and children packed up and joined King. This group is considered the original Kinenos, followed by other families who have joined the ranch since this beginning. Many generations, including the families of Francisco and Ignacio Alvarado, Lauro Faustino Cavazos Sr., Alberto "Lolo" Trevino and the Mendietta and Villas families, operated the ranch day-to-day, performing tasks such as cattle driving, crafting tools, brush clearing and construction. Kinenos who did not work as vaqueros, or ranch-hands, were artisans or cooks and assisted in the house.
The Kinenos exemplified excellence in ranching, earning the respect of their employer. King learned much of ranching from their expertise and training. As King Ranch grew, King relied on and trusted the Kinenos implicitly in the successful management of a herd. Unlike most ranchers, King did not lay off his workers during the winter. The families grew up together and introduced one another to each other's cultures. The Kinenos represent a key piece of the King Ranch's success throughout the years. |
