"Founded in 1853 by Captain Richard King, King Ranch sprawls across 825,000 acres of South Texas with land that varies from fertile black farmland to low-lying coastal marshes to mesquite infested pastures that mark the beginning of the great Texas brush country. Covering almost 1,300 square miles, it is larger than the entire state of Rhode Island. Captain King.s descendants continue to play an active role at King Ranch working with professional management to build on traditions of the past and innovations for the future."