|
|
| Courtesy
Lance Ingham Sloan, (decendent of the Vaughan's of Goodnight) and (GGGG-nephew
of Charles Goodnight) |
History
in a Pecan Shell
Named for famed cattleman Charles
Goodnight, who settled here, the first building in town was reportedly Goodnight's
ranchhouse, built in 1887.
The Fort Worth and Denver City Railway
soon came through and established a depot. The post office opened in 1888 and
the former JA Ranch blacksmith opened a shop that same year.
Charles
and Mary Ann Goodnight, with the help of the Goodnight Baptist Church opened Goodnight
College (1898 until 1917).
Charles
Goodnight died in 1929, but up until his death he was, for all intents and
purposes, the town of Goodnight. His house and his buffalo herd remain. |
The
graduating class of Goodnight College 1900
Photo courtesy Lance Ingham Sloan
|
Herd
of Buffallo,
Good Night Ranch, Goodnight Texas
Postcard
courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/ |
Goodnight
had a population of 300 for the 1940 census. As Claude's
star rose, Goodnight's declined. In 1963 the Paul Newman movie Hud was filmed
in Goodnight and the post office closed six years later.
Besides the
Goodnight Ranch facilities, only two churches and the cemetery remain today.
The population in 1990 was the same as the 1969 estimate - 25 persons. |
|
| Photos
courtesy Nancy Kelly |
| Photo
courtesy Lance Ingham Sloan, 2007 |
| | Charles
and Mary Ann Dyer Goodnight Marker
Photos courtesy Marlee Goodnight Dickerson, October 2003 |
Historical
Marker - Hwy 287, E of GoodnightCharles
GoodnightIllinois-born,
came to Texas in 1845. At 19, on way to gold field,
saw ranching possibilities, and
started herd in Palo Pinto area. In the Civil War scouted for the frontier regiment
in northwest Texas, New Mexico and Indian Territory. With Oliver Loving, pioneered
Goodnight-Loving Trail across deserts and Indian lands, 1866. Established in 1876
the first Texas Panhandle ranch, in Palo
Duro Canyon, longtime winter shelter of Plains Indians. Later with Irish partner,
expanded into the great JA Ranch. Founded old Goodnight College.
(1964) |
Goodnight
Cemetery
Photo courtesy Marlee Goodnight Dickerson, October 2003
More Texas
Cemeteries |
| | Goodnight
sign
Photo
courtesy Ken Rudine, 2006 | |
|
1940s
Armstrong County map showing Goodnight
(Above
"O" in "A-R-M-S-T-R-O-N-G")
Courtesy Texas General Land
Office |
Goodnight,
Texas ForumSubject:
Goodnight, Texas
Was
glad to see your information about Goodnight, TX. My grandparents lived up the
road from the cemetery for around 31 years – late 1940 or so to about 1971 - David
Clarence Peden and my grandmother Annie. The house is gone now but we spent almost
every Christmas and summer there. Down the White Deer highway lived the Sutton
Family - and I cannot for the life of me remember Mr. Sutton’s name. He and his
wife and one of their grandchildren are buried in the Goodnight cemetery. William
Rufus Tyler and Verdie Tyler who lived across that highway to the west were frequent
visitors to my grandparents house and likewise. I remember my brother and cousins
going to the Tyler’s to watch the filming of HUD – or at least see if they could
get a glimpse of the cast. Mr. and Mrs. Newberry ran the general store and post
office just off of Hwy 287 over the train tracks. One of our favorite activities
after dinner was to all walk down to the cemetery entrance and back – that was
our entertainment! At the time there were two abandoned houses across the road
at different intervals and as kids we would make up all sorts of ghost stories
about those houses. Those were the good times! - Nancy Kelly, Denton, Texas,
August 31, 2010
I remember Mr. Sutton’s first name! Noble - Nancy
Kelly, September 06, 2010
Subject:
Goodnight, Texas
Dear TE, Around 1950 or 1951 I was six years old an enrolled in the first grade
at Goodnight school. My mother was hired to teach the 7th, 8th and 9th grades.
I remember my first girlfriend, Becky, (she was an older woman). She was in the
second grade and sat in front of me through 6th grade. I remember driving out
to the canyon and seeing trunks and other discards left by wagons that had going
through just forty or so years earlier. A lot of clothing and household effects
were still in the trunks - just as they were packed all those years earlier. I
remember riding hogs, calves, and catching turtles from a pond. I remember going
to the funeral of an old man I remember as Mister Goodnight. I still question
my memory as to who he really was but the whole county turned out. I remember
getting hit in the back of the head with a base ball bat playing catcher at recess.
No questions there. I so yearn for days like those again. I would like to hear
from others from Goodnight of the same time. - D D Durbin, Corpus Christi,
Texas, November 22, 2007, ASKDAL@aol.com , November 22, 2007
Subject: Goodnight
Cemetery
Dear
TE, My grandfather, Henry Louis Hodgin, worked for Captain Goodnight as a ranch
hand. The story is that Captain Goodnight sent him to school; I don't know for
how long he worked for the Captain or any other information on that. I do know
that my great grandfather, William Sterling Hodgin, is buried in the Goodnight
Cemetery and was buried by Captain Goodnight. A marker is on the grave. In the
registry for the cemetery, it only denotes that the father of Louis Hodgin was
buried in the plot.
I do have a photo of that grave, but my question
is if there is any way that I could get information on this grave or the history
of more of the ranch hands on the Goodnight ranch during the early 1900's? (I'm
guessing here at a date, my grandfather was born in 1893.) Since my grandfather
was half Cherokee, he was always very quiet about his heritage because he didn't
want his children to be called "Half-breeds."
My mother is now 85 years
old and the oldest of her siblings. We are having a reunion at her brother's house
outside of Post, Texas this summer. Her brother is the baby of the family at the
age of 73. We've always been curious about the history of Goodnight because of
this connection and the lack of information in the family. If anyone can be of
any help to us in finding more sources on the history of Goodnight or the ranch
hands please send it in. - Kay Strickland, kay_strcklnd@yahoo.com, Edgewood,
Texas, July 02, 2007
Subject:
Goodnight Texas
Dear TE, I have attached a few more photographs
of family from the glory days of Goodnight, Texas. Quite a few of them are buried
in the Goodnight Cemetery. - Lance Ingham Sloan, (decendent of the Vaughan's
of Goodnight) and (GGGG-nephew of Charles Goodnight), May 12, 2007
Dear
TE, My name is Marlee Goodnight, now Marlee Dickerson. My family and I came through
Goodnight, Texas and stopped at the lovely museum in Claude
in 2003, what a wonderful trip... I have photos that turned out nicely. Charles
Goodnight was my fathers great uncle. I will dig out those photos. When I was
in Claude they had some lovely photos, the one I really liked and would love to
have is the one with Charles and Mary sitting together on a white settee in front
of the house.
During my research last night I came across a website
talking about a fundraiser for the homestead. Have your heard how it went? I would
love to be able to come back, we were talking about going for the reunion this
summer.
Its funny but Goodnights seem to have the innovative spirit.
Whenever I am confronted with a problem, I just decide to make it work, reinvent
it, IE the chuckwagon. I think it is best summed up with we don’t like being told
NO! you can't do it, that won't work. For me it’s a battle cry! - Marlee Goodnight
Dickerson, Santa Rosa, California, February 18, 2007
Dear
TE, I have in my possession some photos of residents from Goodnight, Texas including
a class photo from Goodnight College 1899 - 1900. I have attached the photograph
and one of my GGGrandparent's and their home in Goodnight. - Lance Ingham Sloan,
Santa Rosa, California, February 09, 2007
Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic,
endangered and vanishing Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local
history and vintage/historic photos, please contact
us. | |
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