Voices from the Wild Horse Desert: The Vaquero Families of the King and Kenedy Ranches

by Betty Bailey Colley and Jane Clements Monday

Book Overview

Founded before the Civil War, the King and Kenedy Ranches have become legendary for their size, their wealth, and their endless herds of cattle. A major factor in the longevity of these ranches has always been the loyal workforce of vaqueros (Mexican and Mexican American cowboys) and their families. Some of the vaquero families have worked on the ranches through five or six generations. In this book, Jane Clements Monday and Betty Bailey Colley bring...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0292752040
• ISBN13: 9780292752047
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: University of Texas Press
• Length: 303 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.5" x 9.7"

Customer Reviews

Family History at King Ranch

My family has been part of the King Ranch since I believe the begginging. My great great Grandmother was killed in the Mexican Revolution and is mentioned on page 95 I believe. My Great Grandmother Marcella is also there at the age of 12. This book was given to all my aunts so that they could have a piece of our history. The book is interesting reading all together and I am proud to say we are in it. I've since ordered at least 6 to give as presents, along with collages I made on my great grandpma.

True, often ignored, Texas roots

The best way to learn history is from the mouths of those who lived it, and enjoying the experiences of the King Ranch Kinenos and the vaqueros of the Kenedy Ranch through their unadorned, first-person accounts puts the reader right back at the last fringes of the Old West period. Indian attacks, raids by Pancho Villa and forays by the Union and the Confederacy forces disrupt but do not change the tradition rich life of the Hispanic cowboy. Loyal until death, theirs was a life of service, duty, and honor. This is a can't-miss read for fans of Texana, Hispanic history, and ranching life.