Goodnight, Charles

Goodnight, Charles

(1836–1929) cattleman; born in Macoupin County, Ill. He was a guide and scout in Texas, where he served with the Texas Rangers during the Civil War. He pioneered the movement of cattle ranching into New Mexico (1866) and established the Goodnight and the New Goodnight trails. With John Adair he developed the JA Ranch in Texas (100,000 head of cattle on one million acres) and crossed Angus cattle with buffalo to produce the cattalo. He remained the dominant figure in western Texas until his death.

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.