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Descendants of John Conway - June 24, 2003

96. ISAAC SHELBY⁵ GOODNIGHT (MARY⁴ GROUND, RHODA CONWAY³ LONG, MARY² CONWAY, JOHN¹) was born 08 Jun 1830 in Smith's Grove, Warren Co, KY, and died 09 Mar 1879 in Mountain Creek, Tarrant Co, TX. He married PERMELIA JANE CURRY 29 Jun 1851 in Warren Co, KY, daughter of JAMES CURRY and NANCY HENDRICKS. She was born 06 Aug 1828 in "Sis" b. Warren Co, KY, and died 09 Jan 1895 in Tarrant Co, TX.

Notes for ISAAC SHELBY GOODNIGHT:
In the 1880 census, Pct. 8 of Tarrant County, TX, p. 36:

815/318
Goodnight, Miranda, 50F widow, keeps house b. KY, parents b. KY
Goodnight, Quintella, 16F daughter, b. TX, parents b. KY
Goodnight, Catherine, 14F daughter, b. TX, parents b. KY
Goodnight, Benj. F., 10M son, b. TX, parents b. KY
Goodnight, Isaac T., 22M, son b. TX, parents b. KY
Goodnight, Grace, 19F, daughter-in-law, b. TX, parents b. KY

Additional information for this family, in addition to the submitters mentioned at Isaac Goodnight & Mary Ground, was obtained from Elsie S. Davis, and cemetery records of Tarrant County, TX.

Included in the information provided by the above family members, a typed copy of "papa's record written a long time ago" outlines the children of Isaac Shelby Goodnight, as well as the names of their children (few dates provided). The author of the list was Gillie Goodnight Draper of Sweetwater, Texas.

From the GedCom files of Dianne Stark Thurman:

Isaac Shelby Goodnight was named in honor of the first governor of Kentucky, whose name was Shelby.

In the fall of 1854, Isaac S. Goodnight, his wife and child, father-in-law, James Allen Curry (See more of this story at James Allen Curry) and family, Thomas D. Curry and family, his brother Jacob Goodnight and wife, Peggy Ann Curry, sister of Permelia Jane and others, in thirty covered wagons left Kentucky and went to Texas. It took 30 days to make the trip. After leaving Kentucky, some of the party went to Missouri where they were granted much land under President Andrew Jackson.

Isaac S. Goodnight located in the eastern edge of Tarrant County, Texas. He located on a tract of land on the west side of Mountain Creek, between Cedar Hill and Mansfield, where he lived a short time. He then moved to Leonard's Mill, a few miles east of Forth Worth, on the Trinity River. After a short stay, he moved back to the Mountain Creek neighborhood, where he built some small cabins and also established a tannery which he was still running in 1861 when Civil War began. Although he was not a strong believer in secession as a means of settling the issues surrounding the war, he offered his services to his adopted state and the Confederacy, but was detailed by the Quartermaster of the District, Julian Field, to run his tannery for the Confederate Government. Among old papers can be found orders for leather, saddles, ambulance harnesses, and things of this nature. After the war closed, he continued to live at this place until the fall of 1871 when he moved with his family to a 128 acre tract of land he bought some half-mile south of the place he first settled. Here he lived until his death in 1879. He is buried at the Rehoboth Cemetery in Mansfield, Texas.

Extract from letter received from T. H. & E. Bunch of Polkville, Kentucky dated 26 January 1856:

"I have received one letter from you and was truly glad to hear you were pretty well satisfied with your country. You must bear in mind that a contented mind iss a continual feast. ...tell Tommy Curry to write me. Tell him I saw old Tommy Potter last Saturday. They were all well. Tell Tommy that Sack Gee lives at her old place. Anderson Beckham and Betty Lowry is married. Robert Dodd and Julie Beckham is to be married next Thursday. Thomas Renick is dead. He froze to death. He was drunk. Jeremiah Thomas is dead, that is John Thomas' son Jerry. Old Jerry Thomas is dead also. Jerry died last Monday a week ago. Old George is dead." He continues, "It has been and continues to be the coldest weather I have seen in this country. It turned cold the Saturday before Christmas. The ice is from 11 to 14 inches thick. the thermometer has stood 14 degrees below zero with snow on the ground all the time, but perfectly calm with no wind. Give James A. Curry our best love and compliments and Nancy and all the children."

Extract from letter received from A. J. & Mary Wheatley of Kentucky, dated 13 Aug 1856:

"Nancy Murdock wrote that she had taken you and your family to her house to help take care of you until you get well. If I was in your place and could not have my health I would come back to Kentucky. I heard you were going to try Texas one more year and if you did not like it better would come back to Kentucky. You may be like the man that tried to learn his horse to live without eating, you may keep trying to like it better until you die there and not get used to it at last. I think you had better come back to the old tanyard again. Your old neighbors all want to see you and Jane back at the old tanyard once more. Daniel Wheatley wants to see you so bad he dreams about you most every night."

From T. H. Bunch of Polkville, Kentucky, dated 29 Aug 1857:

"We are preparing today to go to Samuel Gilmore's for the last time before he starts to Kansas Territory. Sam expects to start in two or three weeks."

(Extracts of letters copied by Ben F. Goodnight and sent to Mamie Ground Hays in 1939 reprinted in Ground-Grounds Family Association Newsletter January 1992, Volume VIII, No. 3, p. 5.)

Children of ISAAC GOODNIGHT and PERMELIA CURRY are:

224.	i.	MARY VIRGINIA⁶ GOODNIGHT, b. 15 May 1852, Warren Co, KY; died age 88; d. 06 Dec 1939, Britton, Tarrant Co, TX.
225.	ii.	NANCY EMILY GOODNIGHT, b. 07 Jan 1855, near Mansfield, Tarrant Co, TX; d. 1947, Britton, Tarrant Co, TX.
226.	iii.	ISAAC THOMAS GOODNIGHT, b. 12 Apr 1858, Tarrant Co, TX; d. 21 Aug 1944, Wellington, Collinsworth Co, TX.
227.	iv.	SARAH CORNELIA GOODNIGHT, b. 22 May 1861, Tarrant Co, TX; d. 04 Apr 1917, Mansfield, Tarrant Co, TX.
	v.	QUINTILLA MARTHA GOODNIGHT, b. 31 Jan 1864, Tarrant Co, TX; d. 05 Dec 1956, Tarrant Co, TX; m. WALTER J. HODGES, 02 Aug 1891, Tarrant Co, TX; Book 6, p. 199; no children, raised Jim & Tom, 2 of Walter's nephews; b. 16 May 1858, "The Colonel"; d. 13 Dec 1933, Texas.
	vi.	LOVINA CATHERINE GOODNIGHT, b. 04 Apr 1867, "Kate" b. Mansfield, Tarrant Co, TX; d. 04 Dec 1950, Wichita Falls, Wichita Co, TX; m. WILLIAM T. LOYD, 05 Oct 1886, no children; res Venus, TX; b. 1865; d. 1958, Tarrant Co, TX.
228.	vii.	BENJAMIN FRANKLIN GOODNIGHT, b. 10 Mar 1870, Tarrant Co, TX; d. 27 Aug 1960, Roscoe, Nolan Co, TX.

97. JACOB⁵ GOODNIGHT (MARY⁴ GROUND, RHODA CONWAY³ LONG, MARY² CONWAY, JOHN¹) was born 17 Aug 1832 in Smith's Grove, Warren Co, KY, and died 26 Oct 1898 in Rio Vista, Johnson Co, TX. He married MARGARET ANN CURRY 15 Aug 1854 in Warren Co, KY, daughter of JAMES CURRY and NANCY HENDRICKS. She was born 1832 in "Peggy" b. Warren Co, KY, and died Unknown in Kentucky.

Notes for JACOB GOODNIGHT:
From Dianne Thurman GedCom:

Possibly went to Illinois first, then on to Texas later.

In notes from Robert ADAMS of Austin, Texas, he stated that the Jacob Goodnight family from Frankfort, KY went around 1867 to the Ft. Worth area of Texas. There were ten children born to Jacob Goodnight and Margaret Ann Curry, the fifth child was the grandfather of Robert Adams. He was William Mitchell Goodnight.

NOTE: I have e-mailed Dianne Thurman to inquire about this. Frankfort KY is in Shelby County, and I have not seen Goodnights of this line there. The same GedCom file lists all Jacob & Margaret Ann's children born in Kentucky in Warren County, except William Mitchell, who is listed as born in Frankfort County. This seems unlikely to me. Also, no single source lists the same children in the same way. What appears here is a compilation of all sources, and as accurate as I can make it based upon what appears to be solid data.\\

Marriage Notes for JACOB GOODNIGHT and MARGARET CURRY:
Crittendon and Robert are children from Dianne Stark Thurman's list, as well as James A. and Isaac N. The other children were listed on the 1880 Census.

Children of JACOB GOODNIGHT and MARGARET CURRY are:

229.	i.	NANCY ELLEN⁶ GOODNIGHT, b. 19 Jul 1855, Warren Co, KY; d. Unknown.
230.	ii.	JAMES ALLEN GOODNIGHT, b. 29 Jan 1857, Warren Co, KY; d. 31 May 1930, Warren Co, KY.
	iii.	ISAAC NAPOLEAN GOODNIGHT, b. 17 Sep 1859, Warren Co, KY; d. 27 Oct 1862, Warren Co, KY.
	iv.	JOHN CURTIS GOODNIGHT, b. 02 Jun 1861, Warren Co, KY; d. 18 Dec 1931, Warren Co, KY; m. RACHEL ANN OWENS, Unknown; b. Unknown; d. Unknown.
231.	v.	WILLIAM MITCHELL GOODNIGHT, b. Bet. 1864 - 1865, Frankfort, Kentucky; d. 1932, Amarillo, Potter Co, TX.
	vi.	A. WALTER GOODNIGHT, b. Abt. 1869, Texas; d. Unknown.
	vii.	JULIAN GOODNIGHT, b. Abt. 1872, Texas; d. Unknown.
232.	viii.	MARY M. GOODNIGHT, b. 16 May 1876, "Maggie" b. Texas; d. Unknown.
	ix.	CRITTENDON GOODNIGHT, b. Unknown; d. Unknown, married; lived in the northwest; several children.
	x.	ROBERT GOODNIGHT, b. Unknown; d. Unknown.

98. HENRY G.⁵ GOODNIGHT (MARY⁴ GROUND, RHODA CONWAY³ LONG, MARY² CONWAY, JOHN¹) was born 02 Apr 1834 in Smith's Grove, Warren Co, KY, and died 04 Jan 1895 in Warren Co, KY. He married PAMELA NASH WHEATLEY 03 Oct 1860, daughter of ROBERT WHEATLEY and CASSEY DUFF. She was born Bet. 1820 - 1835, and died Unknown.

Notes for HENRY G. GOODNIGHT:
Dallas County TX 1890
Surviving Soldiers & Sailors & Marines, Etc.
Pct. 5, Dallas County, TX Jun 1890
Lancaster P.O.
41/44 Henry E. Goodnight
Pvt. Co G, Reg 11 KY Vol. Cav.
enl 18 Aug 1862 disc 7 Jul 1865
served 2 y 11 mo 11 d
no disability

History of Kentucky, 1886, William Henry Perrin

Henry G. Goodnight was born in Smith's Grove District, Warren Co., Ky., on the farm adjoining that on which he now resides, on the banks of the Barren River, April 2, 1834. He is the fourth child of a family of four boys and one girl born to Isaac and Mary (Ground) Goodnight, respectively born in Harlan Station, in Mercer County, Ky., near Harrodsburgh, and Warren County, in 1782 and 1800; the mother died in 1845, and the father in Warren County, in 1869; he was a saddler and tanner by trade, also a farmer, and was four times married. Isaac Goodnight's father was a German; Mrs. Mary Goodnight was a daughter of Robert and Rhoda (Long) Ground. Henry G. Goodnight, in the spring of 1855, went to Texas, where he was engaged for two or more years in prospecting.

After his return to Warren County he married, October 3, 1860, Pamley Nash Whitley, a daughter of Robert and Cassey (Duff) Whitley, and to this union has been born one son, Thomas B. Mr. Goodnight's farm comprises 200 acres, the most of which has been acquired by his own industry. In politics he was formerly a Democrat and cast his first presidential vote for James Buchanan, but for the last four or five years he has been connected with the Greenback party. During the days that the Grange was in existence he was a member of that organization. He joined the Church of Christ in July, 1862, and has since adhered to that faith; his parents were members of the Baptist Church. The Grandfather of Mr. Goodnight, in December, 1781, while on his way from Virginia, was killed by the Indians on Kentucky River, and his son John was badly wounded. It will thus be seen that the Goodnight family were among the very early settlers of Kentucky, as were also the Ground family.

-----

Cheryl Sparks-Woolsey shows birth of 4 Feb 1834 and death of 1 Apr 1895.

Child of HENRY GOODNIGHT and PAMELA WHEATLEY is:

233.

THOMAS B.⁶ GOODNIGHT, b. 20 Jan 1861, Smith's Grove, Warren Co, KY; d. Unknown.

99. MARY E.⁵ GROUND (HENRY⁴, RHODA CONWAY³ LONG, MARY² CONWAY, JOHN¹) was born 24 Aug 1833 in Barren Co, KY, and died Aft. 1886 in Res Kansas 1886. She married JAMES WHITMAN BUTLER 01 Jul 1851 in Knox Co, IL, son of PETER BUTLER and RACHEL MURPHY. He was born 02 Oct 1826 in Warren Co, KY ²¹, and died Aft. 1886 in KY; IL; OR; IL; CA; Res Kansas 1886.

Notes for JAMES WHITMAN BUTLER:
James Butler, wife and son, Seldon are enumerated in 1870 Census at Indian Point Township, Knox Co, IL. page 3, line 2.

His biography is found in "History of Knox County, Illinois" 1878, pp. 659-660.

Information included in biography, other than family information includes education and professional life:

First attended log school house in Warren County, Illinois taught by Alexander Reynolds, a minister. Then trained under Howell Haskell. In 1845, entered Knox Academy, Galesburg, Illinois and after two years entered Knox College. In 1847, he entered Bethany College, Bethany, Virginia, where he graduated in 1850 and entered the ministry.

After marriage to Mary E. Ground, he was elected Treasurer of Warren County, Illinois in 1853 and held the position until called to the chair of Mathematics at Abingdon College in 1855. He became president of the college and served in that position for 14 years. Biography states that he more or less carried the college during the Civil War, as the trustees could not pay the staff. (Does not say how he did this, whether from personal funds or fundraising.)

In 1867, he and family sailed from New York City to California. They visited for a short time there and then went to Oregon, starting home by rail February 2, 1868.

In 1874, he was called to the presidency of Christian College, Santa Rosa, California, where he served one year in addition to being pastor of the Christian Church.

In 1877 he was elected Supervisor and re-elected in 1878 (assumably of Knox Co, Illinois).

Child of MARY GROUND and JAMES BUTLER is:

234.

SELDON HENRY⁶ BUTLER, b. 14 Jul 1852, Monmouth, Polk Co, OR; d. 15 Oct 1904, Fall River, KS; age 52y 3m 1d.

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