Goodnight, TX - Visitors and Texans wanting to smell the aroma of food cooked from a real chuckwagon or witness thrilling reenactments of historic military encampments can do so on Saturday, May 9 as the Charles and Mary Ann Goodnight Ranch State Historic Site invites everyone to the Goodnight Invention Convention.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., discover fascinating inventions and the frontier spirit from the late 19th century with live demonstrations and hands-on activities.
Other state historic sites and nearby museums are expected to help with the free event, while highlighting separate inventions or aspects of frontier life.
Expected participants and their demonstrations include:
• Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site: Electromagnetism
• Slaton Harvey House State Historic Site: Communication technology
• Frontier Regiment of the High Plains: Military camp at nearby Fort Elliott
• Mission Dolores State Historic Site: Wright Flyer and Goddard Rocket
• Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site: Toilet evolution
• Armstrong County Museum: Telephones
• Fort Griffin State Historic Site/Official State of Texas Longhorn Herd: Longhorns
Visitors can also purchase beverages and snacks from local vendor Porch Swing Eats and Treatz.
About Goodnight Ranch State Historic Site
The Charles and Mary Ann Goodnight Ranch State Historic Site is one of 42 state historic sites managed by the Texas Historical Commission. It features the Folk Victorian house Charles built in 1887 for his Goodnight-Thayer Cattle Company. The house overlooks descendants of the original bison herd the Goodnights started in the late 19th century.
About the Texas Historical Commission
The Texas Historical Commission is the state's official historic preservation agency. It preserves, operates, and manages 42 state historic sites, the Texas Heritage Trails Program, Texas Main Street Program, Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program, and many more heritage tourism and historic preservation initiatives across the state. The Texas Historical Commission's mission is to protect and preserve the state’s historic and prehistoric resources for the use, education, enjoyment, and economic benefit of present and future generations. For more information, visit thc.texas.gov.
