
A Promise Across The Plains
From Wild West Podcast by Michael King/Brad Smalley
April 22, 2026 · 24 min
About this episode
The episode explores the life of Charles Goodnight, a significant figure in Texas Panhandle history, through the lens of a promise made to a dying friend.
Send us Fan Mail A man rides east through New Mexico with a coffin in his wagon, charcoal packed tight to fight decay, because his dying friend asked for one last mercy: don’t bury me in a foreign place. That single promise opens the door to the full, complicated life of Charles Goodnight, one of the most important names in Texas Panhandle history and a key figure of the American cattle frontier. We trace Goodnight’s rise from a hard-schooled teenager on the edge of the Brazos Bottoms to a T...
People in this episode
Hosts: Michael King, Brad Smalley
Topics covered
- Texas history
- cattle frontier
- Charles Goodnight
- American West
- personal stories
Keywords
- Charles Goodnight
- Texas Panhandle
- cattle frontier
- New Mexico
- American history
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Texas Panhandle, New Mexico, Brazos Bottoms
More episodes of Wild West Podcast
- Fanning The Hammer Is A Great Way To Lose · April 15, 2026 · 24 min
- A Punitive March Turns Into A Saber Charge On The Kansas Frontier · April 13, 2026 · 17 min
- "Jeb" Stuart's Letter About The Battle of Solomon’s Fork · April 12, 2026 · 6 min
- A Handful Of Men Mark The Gateway West · April 10, 2026 · 4 min
- The Killing Of Ed: April 9, 1878 · April 9, 2026 · 13 min
- What Does It Take To Turn Chaos Into Law · April 9, 2026 · 9 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Wild West Podcast podcast page.