Kleberg -- Robert Justus Page: 4 of 11
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doubled the holdings to over one million acres. Most of this land was bought at
distressed prices by discouraged and fleeing small timers. The modern Kleberg
family likes to thinks of him as a consolidator of lands and developer of South Texas.
He was also good at fathering children and in planning his own succession. A
dynastic dream.
KPR-704-Robert and Alice had five children all born in Corpus and delivered by
Arthur Spohn-check this? They were Richard Mifflin, Robert Justus, Henreitta,
Alice and Sarah. Only Henrietta continued to work with the ranch and in the 1950's
as Henreitta Armstrong she would be the grande dame of the rancho and Chairman
of the Board of Directors.
Dick was big likeable all-American lad and earmarked by his father as the future
public relationist. Dick was urbane and from his grandmother's mansion in Corpus
Christi would become a leader of the cattleman community and a United States
Congressman for 13 years.
Bob was designated by his father as the future leader of the rancho. He was the
first Kleberg born and bred as a working rancher. **Rather than having his sons live
in the stultifying matriarchic atmosphere in the mainliving quarters of the house.
Robert constructed an entire wing devoted to bachelor quarters-think this is
wrong-quarters are a separate building in back-here the young boys lived with
the Ranch Manager Sam Ragland and cousin Caesar Kleberg two confirmed
bachelors. They had two homes one with the womenfolk and father and one with
rough and tumble cowboys, range bosses and bachelors. Bob became the Crown
Prince Cowboy and Dick would do rodeo tricks on the campaign.
KPR00705-Robert was responsible for building the renowned Main House after
the wooden structure burned in 1912. It took two years to build and cost $350,000.
It had the scrambled elements of Mexican, Moorish, California Miss
ion and Long Island styles.
1915 the year of its completion and the two daughters marriages was Robert
Kleberg's last really good year. In 1916 at the age of 62 he was stricken with palsy
and confined to a wheelchair. There he sat for 16 years mentally alert but physically
moribund. So shaky was his hand that he rubber-stamped his name to documents.
At the time of his stroke, his mother-in-law was 84 so there were two nursing vases
on the Santa Gertrudis. Henrietta died at 93 in 1925. Her will froze the assets and
inheritances for ten years and that provided the valuable breathing space to
establish the separate Kleberg holdings. He also lived to see Bob take over the ranch
and Dick as a Congressman in Washington.
KPR-602-Right after King's death the cattle and land boom in South Texas
collapsed. Kleberg was putting his attention to Henrietta and Alice. Kleberg was
probating the will and was in constant attendance. Alice and Robert were married
on June 17th, 1886 fourteen months after the Captain's death. The year after the
wedding in 1887 Kleberg was named General Manager and shortly thereafter he
was given the Power of Attorney.
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Kleberg -- Robert Justus, text, 2010; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1841275/m1/4/?q=%22cat-bom%22: accessed June 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.