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The rancher Charles Goodnight used this leather file in the late 1800s and early 1900s to store letters and other documents. He never learned to read, but carried on a lively written correspondence with other ranchers, government officials, scientific organizations and friends like Comanche chief Quanah Parker. Goodnight sent and read letters with the help of both of his wives (Mary Ann Dyer Goodnight and, later, Corinne Goodnight Goodnight). This item was donated to PPHM by the Goodnight family in 1983.

Goodnight is known for many areas of impact. He was the first rancher to settle in the Texas Panhandle. He invented the chuckwagon. He and Mary Ann even saved the American bison from extinction. In fact, several parts of Goodnight's story inspired the plot of the novel Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry.
While this part of our collection isn't currently visible to the public, you can still see a statue of Charles Goodnight outside PPHM.

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