Changes

Goodnight, who was described by his biographer, J. Evetts Haley (1901-1995), as “religious and reverential by nature,”<ref name=PPHM/> allowed no [[gambling]], [[whiskey]], [[theft]], or fighting among the cowboys, nor would he hire a worker who had been dismissed elsewhere for those offenses. Goodnight's brothers-in-law, Walter and Leigh R. Dyer, worked temporarily for the JA during trail drives and roundups. Goodnight improved the quality of the cattle through the importation of blooded stock. In 1882, he built what is thought to have been the Panhandle's first [[barbed wire]] fence across a canyon bed to separate the purebred cattle (with a JJ brand) from the regular JA stock. He also maintained a buffalo herd, which he bred with cattle to produce the “cattalo,” or the ”beefalo”.<ref name=hbook/>​

Goodnight, who was described by his biographer, J. Evetts Haley (1901-1995), as “religious and reverential by nature,”<ref name=PPHM/> allowed no [[gambling]], [[whiskey]], [[theft]], or fighting among the cowboys, nor would he hire a worker who had been dismissed elsewhere for those offenses. Goodnight's brothers-in-law, Walter and Leigh R. Dyer, worked temporarily for the JA during trail drives and roundups. Goodnight improved the quality of the cattle through the importation of blooded stock. In 1882, he built what is thought to have been the Panhandle's first [[barbed wire]] fence across a canyon bed to separate the purebred cattle (with a JJ brand) from the regular JA stock. He also maintained a buffalo herd, which he bred with cattle to produce the “cattalo,” or the ”beefalo”.<ref name=hbook/>​

By the time the Adair-Goodnight contract expired in 1882, the ranch had bought 93,000 acres. Goodnight acquired for Cornelia Adair the Quitaque Ranch, or the Lazy F, in Briscoe County. The ranch realized a profit of more than $512,000, a large sum at that time. The JA housed the Palo Duro post office. The two planned to renew the contract. Goodnight fenced the Quitaque and added the Tule Ranch in Swisher County. Other purchases brought the ranch to its peak 1,350,000 peak acreage, covering portions of Randall, Hall, Donley, Armstrong, Briscoe, and Swisher counties.

By the time the Adair-Goodnight contract expired in 1882, the ranch had bought 93,000 acres. Goodnight acquired for Cornelia Adair the Quitaque Ranch, or the Lazy F, in Briscoe County. The ranch realized a profit of more than $512,000, a large sum at that time. The JA housed the Palo Duro post office. The two planned to renew the contract. Goodnight fenced the Quitaque and added the Tule Ranch in Swisher County. Other purchases brought the ranch to its peak 1,350,000 acreage, which covered portions of Randall, Hall, Donley, Armstrong, Briscoe, and Swisher counties.

Adair died in 1885, after only his third visit to the JA. Cornelia, widowed for the second time after eighteen years of marriage, continued the partnership but sometimes questioned Goodnight’s judgment.<ref name=PPHM/> For the rest of her life, Cornelia took an intense personal interest in the growth and operation of the ranch though she was often in England or Ireland. She insisted on a remuda<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ranches.org/ja_remuda.htm|title= JA Remuda|publisher=Ranches.org|accessdate=September 20, 2019}}</ref> of all bay horse, and imported purebred Hereford cattle from England.<ref name=JA/>

Adair died in 1885, after only his third visit to the JA. Cornelia, widowed for the second time after eighteen years of marriage, continued the partnership but sometimes questioned Goodnight’s judgment.<ref name=PPHM/> For the rest of her life, Cornelia took an intense personal interest in the growth and operation of the ranch though she was often in England or Ireland. She insisted on a remuda<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ranches.org/ja_remuda.htm|title= JA Remuda|publisher=Ranches.org|accessdate=September 20, 2019}}</ref> of all bay horse, and imported purebred Hereford cattle from England.<ref name=JA/>