Henrietta King: La Patrona (Texas Heroes For Young Readers)

Meet Henrietta King, the strong woman who ran the most legendary ranch in America. From her beginnings as a preacher's daughter on a houseboat to her role as La Patrona of the legendary King Ranch, Henrietta King defined herself through strength of character. Here is the story of the remarkable woman whose tenacity, fortitude and faith in the face of the Civil War and her husband's death guided the ranch that developed the first cattle breed in the United States, bred From her lonely days as the only child of a missionary to heading the legendary King Ranch, this account examines the nearly century-long life of one of Texas's foremost frontier women and philanthropists, Henrietta King. With self-reliance developed early on, Henrietta accompanied her missionary father on his travels and later settled with her husband Richard King in the untamed frontiers of the south Texas Gulf Coast. Through this engaging narrative, children discover the strength and determination of the woman who helped build what was to become one of the largest ranches in the nation. Under her stewardship, the family ranch was widely respected for its pioneering and industry-leading techniques in cattle and horse breeding and farming. Henrietta's leadership in and financial support of the development of the corridor between Corpus Christi and Brownsville and the towns of Kingsville and Raymondville are among her numerous civic-minded efforts cited in this biography. "From her beginnings as a preacher's daughter on a houseboat to her role as La Patrona of the legendary King Ranch, Henrietta King defined herself through strength of character. Here is the story of the remarkable woman whose tenacity, fortitude and faith in the face of the Civil War and her husband's death guided the ranch that developed the first cattle breed in the United States, bred the Triple Crown winner, Assault, and continues to exemplify the Texas mystique today."--Page 4 of cover