Everyone knows that things are just bigger in Texas. From big oil to big food and, of course, big hats, Texas is just big. But then for a state that is close to the size of Europe, one can understand the scale of things.
So it should come as no surprise that one of the biggest ranches in the world can be found in Texas. The King Ranch is by far the largest ranch in Texas and consumes some 825,000 acres of South Texas land, an area larger than the state of Rhode Island. It covers most of Kleberg County, a good chunk of Kennedy County and includes parts of four other counties.
The King Ranch was founded in 1853 by river boat captain Richard King and his associate, the Texas Ranger, Captain Gideon Lewis. The pair bought the first 15,500 acres of the ranch in late 1853 for a mere $300.
Over the ensuing years, the ranch was expanded until it reached a phenomenal 1.2 million acres at it's largest, before shrinking down again to it's current size.
The ranch still operates today and is owned by the descendants of Richard King. It is home to some 35,000 head of cattle and over 200 quarter horses.
The ranch is a bit of an institution in Texas and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961. Ford even named a range of their popular F-150 pickup after the ranch.
Needless to say, the King Ranch F-150 is one big pickup.
