We wandered over to Goodnight, Texas, last weekend for an open house at the newly restored Charles Goodnight home. It's between Clarendon and Claude on US 287, across the road south of the little community of Goodnight. It was the home of the Goodnights from 1887 to 1926.

Google Maps

Armstrong County Museum

West side of the house


IMG_4108 by CHS Girls Soccer, on Flickr

The sleeping porch where Goodnight often slept outside.


IMG_4107 by CHS Girls Soccer, on Flickr

A restored Goodnight invention: The Chuck Wagon


IMG_4105 by CHS Girls Soccer, on Flickr

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[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 4/16/2013 10:16p).]

Goodnight's final resting place

Cemetery Location


IMG_4121 by CHS Girls Soccer, on Flickr


IMG_4109 by CHS Girls Soccer, on Flickr


IMG_4111 by CHS Girls Soccer, on Flickr


IMG_4112 by CHS Girls Soccer, on Flickr

"Citizen of the Republic"


IMG_4110 by CHS Girls Soccer, on Flickr

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And a totally random thing from the same cemetery: What almost looked like an above ground crypt.


IMG_4113 by CHS Girls Soccer, on Flickr

I was a little freaked out by the window, I was afraid the occupant might be visible. And at first, I thought the rocks might be petrified wood. But I'm pretty sure it is covered with Alibates Flint, which you can no longer obtain, as it is a National Monument.

Alibates Flint Quarry


IMG_4114 by CHS Girls Soccer, on Flickr

And an artsy shot to finish. I just thought the old graves, lonely prairie and gathering clouds made a nice shot.


IMG_4119 by CHS Girls Soccer, on Flickr

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[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 4/16/2013 10:17p).]

Thanks Canyon.

What's the deal with the quarters on Goodnight's grave?

I assume it's a tribute. What I didn't take a photo of were all the bandanas. There were 50-100 faded bandanas woven into the chain link fence around the grave site.

Notice the shadows in the photo of the "Citizen of the Republic" emblem? Those are bandanas in the fence. In the photo below (taken from the back side of the Goodnight plot, you can see a few bandanas in the fence right above the lamb marker.

Most of the bandanas were directly in front of Charlie's marker, which is out of sight to the left in the photo below.


IMG_4120 by CHS Girls Soccer, on Flickr


[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 4/17/2013 9:51a).]

Very cool. Want to go there myself.

Did they say why he picked this location for the house. Seems like a better house site would be down by the canyon? I wonder if their was a spring of something there.

I think it was because it was close to the railroad and the road between Amarillo and Wichita Falls.

Hmm. I would have thought thy the railroad came years after the house

I don't think there was much up there in 1887.

[This message has been edited by powerbiscuit (edited 4/17/2013 8:39p).]

Amarillo history timeline

quote:

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1887 ― FORT WORTH-DENVER CITY RAILROAD WAS CONSTRUCTED ACROSS THE TEXAS PANHANDLE.

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Handbook of Texas online

quote:

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GOODNIGHT, TEXAS (Armstrong County). Goodnight is at the edge of the Llano Estacado on U.S. Highway 287 in northeastern Armstrong County. It was named for Charles Goodnight, who settled on a ranch near the site after selling his minority interest in the JA Ranch in 1887. Soon afterwards, the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway established a station there, and in November 1888 a post office was opened with Sam Dyer as postmaster. The first building at the townsite was Goodnight's ranchhouse, built in 1887. John Dorterer served as agent at the railroad depot, and C. M. McCurdy was the section foreman. R. M. Hathorn, the JA Ranch blacksmith, opened a shop in 1888. The Goodnight News began publication in 1890; it later merged with the Claude Argus to become the Claude News. A rural school district was organized in 1891, and Charles and Mary Ann Goodnight's concern for education was further exemplified by Goodnight College, which operated from 1898 until 1917. The Goodnight Baptist Church, which helped run the school, was chartered in 1904. Charles Goodnight remained the dominant force in the community until his death in December 1929. His century-old house remained on his home ranch in 1990, along with the buffalo herd he started to help preserve the species. By 1940 the town of Goodnight reported a population of 300 and nine businesses. The emergence of Claude as the county's business center, together with improved transportation and communication facilities, resulted in the rapid demise of the business district in Goodnight. The population dropped from 200 in 1944 to twenty-five in 1969. Despite the filming of Hud in Goodnight in 1963, activity in the town continued to decrease, and the post office closed by 1969. As of 1984 only one church and the community cemetery remained, along with the Goodnight Ranch facilities. In 2000 the population was eighteen.

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My Mom's folks were from West Texas - Snyder, San Anglelo, Abilene, etc.

Spent a lot of time in my youth travelling the back roads of that area and remember many of the small bergs my dad stopped at for gas and a pee break.

I'll always remember Robert Lee - what a great name! When I got to be older, I spent some time travelling some of those same back roads. Many of those small bergs have dried up and blown away.

My FIL was from a small town in eastern Kansas. Spent some time with him travelling some back roads in his old stomping grounds.

I was amazed at how many totally vacant spots we went by that he pointed out as sites of small towns when he was growing up in the 20's and 30's.



[This message has been edited by NormanAg (edited 4/17/2013 10:46p).]

Mr Goodnight was born on a Saturday

I'm disappointed I've driven so close to that and had no idea

Thanks canyon

If it's any consolation, the house has only been restored and open to the public for a few weeks.

Random question canyon.

My younger sister played girls soccer at canyon high, are you a coach, booster or involved??? If so, you probably know her and my family up there.

When my daughter played for CHS from 2004 to 2007, I took a TON of photos of the games and began posting them to Flickr for the parents to see. After she went to USAFA (played soccer there for a year) and later the Air Force, I kept the Flickr account and didn't bother to change the name.

Have known Tammy and the rest of her family since about 1994, when our kids started playing youth soccer.

email address is in profile

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[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 4/20/2013 8:19a).]

Yup. You know her.
She went 03-07, then went to TWU and played there for a year.

I'm a moocher and not a paid user so I'm not sure if I can check profiles?

Just hit the little button.

And I'm pretty sure we've met. Didn't you come over to Waco and meet us at a track meet when your sister K and our daughter J were running? This was a track club, not a school event.

We've known and loved your sister and mom for years.

Also were privileged to meet your dad and stepmom at several games.



[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 4/20/2013 12:53p).]

Well good! That sounds about right!

Good bull! Gotta love texags.

Enjoyed the photos.

I noticed his wife's name was Dyer. I am originally from Amarillo and my pediatrician was Dr Dyer (passed away some years back). I am wondering if there is a relation.

Well, Mary Ann had custody of three of her brothers after her parents died, and I believe all of them worked for Goodnight at one time or another. It's certainly possible that their descendants are still in the area.

So he was born on the same day Travis drew the line in the sand with his sword @ the Alamo.