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Goodnight sign
Photo courtesy Ken Rudine, 2006 |
The graduating
class of Goodnight College 1900
Photo courtesy Lance Ingham Sloan |
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.
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.
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Herd of Buffallo,
Good Night Ranch, Goodnight Texas
Postcard courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/ |
1936 Texas Centennial
Marker: Goodnight Community Center, SW corner of FM 294 and King Road
Town of Goodnight
Named in honor
of Charles Goodnight, 1836-1929, noted scout, Indian fighter and trail
blazer who established the first ranch in the Texas Panhandle in 1876
and is also known as the Burbank of the Range
|
| Courtesy Lance
Ingham Sloan, decendent of the Vaughan's of Goodnight and GGGG-nephew
of Charles Goodnight) |
| Photos
courtesy Nancy Kelly |
Goodnight TX
- Castle On The Plains
Photo courtesy Lance Ingham Sloan, 2007 |
Goodnight Cemetery
Photo
courtesy Marlee Goodnight Dickerson, October 2003
More Texas Cemeteries |
Charles and Mary
Ann Dyer Goodnight Marker
Photo courtesy Marlee Goodnight Dickerson, October 2003 |
Charles and Mary
Ann Dyer Goodnight Marker
Photo courtesy Marlee Goodnight Dickerson, October 2003 |
Historical Marker
- Hwy 287, E of Goodnight
Charles Goodnight
Illinois-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) |
Charles Goodnight
Historical Marker On FM 52 in Oran
Photo courtesy Curtis Carter |
Goodnight,
Texas Forum
Subject:
Goodnight Texas
In response to Nancy Kelly, Noble Sutton was my great-grandfather.
His wife was named Ethel. They had several children including my
granddad, Howard Sutton, who passed away five years ago. I am going
to put my mother in contact with this forum so she can share some
pictures. - Tonya Harden, Visalia, CA, November 07, 2017
Subject:
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
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
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
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
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
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1907 postal map
(Texas State map #2090) showing Goodnight
in W Armstrong County
Courtesy
Texas General Land Office |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
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