Charles Goodnight's Legacy See related: Retracing the Goodnight-
Loving Trail By Julia Robinson My Obsession with Charles
Goodnight began with a nudge from my father, a one-time history
major who, as a retired state employee astride a motorcycle,
explored historical sites all over Texas and reported his
observations back to me. When his father, my grandfather, became
seriously ill, those exploratory trips became therapeutic. My
dad latched on to Goodnight’s story, and as he lost his own
father, he sought out a tale that wove manliness, mortality, and
legacy into the mythic story of a man who became legend.
Goodnight appears to ride energetically through Texas history,
making cameo appearances in a number of business and political
scenarios. In my quest to gain a more personal perspective on
Goodnight’s legacy by retracing some of his tracks, I relied on
J. Evetts Haley’s biography, Charles Goodnight: Cowman and
Plainsman, as my guide. I learned that after the death of his
business partner, Oliver Loving, in 18