Thursday, March 5, 2009

The Cows Come Home

Charles Goodnight a cattle rancher, perhaps one of the best known ranchers in Texas was born on March 5th 1836.

Goodnight was born in Macoupin County, IL. He was the fourth child of Charles and Charlotte [Collier] Goodnight. He moved with family to Texas in 1846, where he became a Texas Ranger in 1857. With the coming of the Civil War Goodnight joined the Confederate Army. He spent most of the war on the Texas frontier protecting against raids by Indians.

When the Civil War ended Charles Goodnight took part of the “making the gather”, which was a state wide round up of the cattle that roamed pretty much free during the four years of the war. Than in 1866 he and Oliver Loving drove the wild Texas Longhorn cattle north to the railroads where they would supply the US Army.

Goodnight died December 12th 1929 in Tucson, AZ.

Some other places for information
Charles Goodnight Historical Center

Charles Goodnight, Cowman and Plainsman

Charles Goodnight: Father of the Texas Panhandle

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