JA Ranch facts for kids
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J A Ranch
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HABS photo, 2000
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 Location in Texas
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Palo Duro, Texas |
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| Area | 40 acres (16 ha) |
| Built | 1879 |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000807 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | December 19, 1960 |
The JA Ranch is a really old and important cattle ranch in the Palo Duro Canyon in Armstrong County, Texas. It was started way back in 1876 by two famous people, Charles Goodnight and John George Adair. This makes it the oldest ranch still running in the Texas Panhandle area! The main part of the ranch was even named a special National Historic Landmark in 1960. This was because of its connection to Charles Goodnight, who was one of the most important cattle ranchers of the late 1800s. Today, the ranch is still a busy place, run by the family members of John Adair.
Contents
Exploring the Historic JA Ranch
Where is the JA Ranch Located?
The JA Ranch is found in the Texas Panhandle, southeast of a city called Amarillo, Texas. The main ranch house is now a museum. It tells the story of Charles Goodnight. You can find it a short distance south of United States Route 287.
What Does the Ranch Look Like?
The main ranch house has two stories. The oldest part of the house is a log cabin. This cabin was built even before the American Civil War. The main part of the house was built starting in 1879. It has strong, rough stone walls on the first floor. The second story is made of wood. Near the main house, you can see other old buildings. These include the original stables and a corral from the 1800s. There is also a house where the ranch hands used to sleep.
Who Was Charles Goodnight?
Charles Goodnight (1836-1929) was born in Illinois. He became a Texas Ranger in 1857. After the American Civil War, he started working with cattle. He helped gather thousands of cattle that were left alone during the war. He also created important trails for moving cattle across West Texas.
Goodnight started a ranch in eastern Colorado. Later, he came back to the Palo Duro Canyon area. He had led a big operation there against the Kiowa and Comanche people. In 1874, he set up a small ranch in the canyon.
How the JA Ranch Grew
Charles Goodnight then partnered with John Adair. John Adair was an immigrant from Ulster Scots. He provided the money to make the ranch bigger. Goodnight was in charge of running the ranch every day. Under his leadership, the ranch grew very large. It became more than 700,000 acres (2,800 km2) in size. Goodnight retired in 1889. He moved to a smaller ranch nearby.
