Lone Star Fair Of 1852
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Title |
Lone Star Fair Of 1852 |
Subject |
Lone Star Fair |
Transcript |
The Lone Star Fair Of 1852 Henry Kinney, founder of Corpus Christi, made a fortune when Zachary Taylor's army was here. But his wealth was soon spent, and by 1851, he was looking for a way to attract immigrants who would buy some of his thousands of acres. He decided to hold the Lone Star Fair, partly to honor Corpus Christi's incorporation as a city, but mostly to make a profit. Kinney distributed thousands of handbills advertising the fair and he expected 20,000 people to attend. The fair opened on May 1,1852. A reporter wrote that 2,999 strangers were in town to see horse races, bull fights, and cock-fighting. Maltby's Circus put on nightly performances to an audience of frontiersmen, Indians, saddles, bridles, blankets, agricultural and livestock exhibits. An award for the finest cotton went to Kinney's wife, Mary, for cotton grown on the Oso Gail Borden (who would invent condensed milk) won a prize for his meat biscuit. People who would become famous in Texas history attended the fair, such as Rip Ford, Sally Skull, Legs Lewis, and Capt. Richard King. For Kinney's purposes, the fair was a failure. He lost money on the venture and his creditors demanded payment. Gen. Hugh McLeod obtained a judgement and took possession of Kinney's Mustang Island ranch. Forbes Britton sued Kinney for money owed him, after writing him a bitter letter demanding payment.. Still, the fair and its promotion had a lasting impact. Immigrants attracted here iin 1852 became some of this region's most influential settlers, here in Corpus Christi, and in the sheep country of the Nueces Valley. Richard King, who owned a string of riverboats on the Rio Grande, cvame north to attend the; riding over a sea of rich knee-high grass. King got the idea of starting a ranch, it is believed, while he was camped one night by a little stream called the Santa Gertrudis. Murphy Givens: KEDT Radio Scripts |
Author |
Murphy Givens |
Publisher |
KEDT Radio |
Date |
5/3/2002 |
Type |
Sound Recording |
Format |
MP3; Length 2 min. 35 sec. |
Language |
English |
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