Where Cowmen are Kings

by Lynne Beeching, Development Officer at MOSTHistory

A new sculpture has been installed on the grounds of MOSTHistory as a tribute to the cowmen, past and present, who “ride for the brand” and work cattle on the brush-covered ranches of the Wild Horse Desert of South Texas.

Alice G.K.K. East and her sister Lica Elena East Pinkston generously gifted to MOSTHistory a sculpture titled “Where Cowmen Are Kings” in memory of their late father, Tom T. East Jr. The sculpture was commissioned from Texas artist Jason Scull. They chose the museum as the beneficiary of this special gift in appreciation of the museum’s commitment to preserving the history and heritage of the borderlands of South Texas and northeastern Mexico. The sculpture also honors the history and heritage of ranching and the hardy people, from ranch owners to ranch hands who made a living working cattle.

The East sisters are fourth-generation descendants of Captain Richard King (1824-1885) and Henrietta M. Chamberlain (1833-1925), founders of the King Ranch. Along with their brother Mike East, they own and operate the vast Santa Fe Ranch, once a part of the legendary

King Ranch. In 1956, the East Brothers Cattle Company, then operated by Mrs. Tom T. East Sr. (Alice Kleberg East) and her children Tom T. East Jr., Robert C. East, and Alice Hattie East, traded their stock in the King Ranch for the Santa Fe Ranch, a ranch that covers three counties. In 1984, after the death of Tom T. East Jr., the ranch was divided. His widow Evelyn Kreunstler East and their children Mike, Alice, and Lica became heirs to the Santa Fe Ranch. Today, there is a fifth generation involved with the ranch’s operation and a sixth generation coming up.

East’s legacy continues.

Tom T. East Jr. (1917-1984) was born to the saddle and was a cowman through and through. The three-fourths life-sized sculpture depicts East on horseback posed in his distinctive stance in the saddle. It was said that one could recognize East on horseback from a distance because of the way he sat in the saddle. Around the base of the sculpture, there are six cattle brands representing the ranches for which he rode, including the ones he owned.

The sculpture is located near the museum’s main entrance. Stop by to take a closer look!