How Kenedy County Got Its Name — and Why Ranching Still Shapes It

The county was carved out in 1921 from parts of Willacy, Cameron, and Hidalgo counties. It is named for Mifflin Kenedy, a steamboat operator and early rancher in the region. The county seat, Sarita, was named by John G. Kenedy after his daughter. He built his ranch headquarters there and donated the land for the townsite.

Spanish land grants in this area date to 1792. Ranching families (the Kenedys, Kings, Armstrongs, and Yturrias among them) have controlled most of the land for generations. At the peak, there were more than 80,000 head of cattle here. Today, fewer than 500 people live in the entire county. The economy still runs on ranching, oil and gas, and hunting leases.