Capulin Volcano National Monument ⓘ

Charles Goodnight is often referred to as the "Father of the Texas Panhandle" (Hagan 123) and is said to have been "the most romantic man living, not only in West Texas, but in the entire West" (Hagan 134).

Born in Illinois, east of St. Louis, Missouri, he was the fourth child of Charles Goodnight and the former Charlotte Collier. In 1846, he moved to Texas with his mother and stepfather, Hiram Daugherty. He became a cowboy and joined the local militia in the fight against Comanche raiders when he was 20. A year later in 1857, he joined the Texas Rangers where he was best known for leading the 1860 raid against the Indian camp where Cynthia Ann Parker, a kidnapped pioneer woman who had been living as a Comanche, was living with her husband, Peta Nocona. This led to Cynthia Ann's rescue and a treaty with her son, Quanah Parker. During the Civil War, Goodnight joined the Confederacy and spent most of his time in a frontier regiment guarding against Indian raids.

As remarkable as his life was, it was what Charles Goodnight did after the war that made him a legend. Goodnight became involved in the herding of feral Texas Longhorn cattle in West Texas. In 1866, he and Oliver Loving drove their first herd northward along what would become known as the Goodnight-Loving Trail. The trail followed the Pecos River north and in 1866 used the Raton Pass to cross from New Mexico to Colorado. Goodnight, unhappy about the tolls to use the Raton Pass, took a different route the next spring just west of Capulin Mountain through the easier and free Trinchera Pass. Charles Goodnight also wintered his cattle on the plains near Capulin.

Goodnight is well known for his legendary friendship with Oliver Loving. When Loving was mortally wounded by Indians during a cattle drive in 1867, Goodnight sat by his bed during the two weeks it took him to die. At the request of the dying Loving, Goodnight carried the body from New Mexico back to Weatherford, Texas for burial. The award winning novel Lonesome Dove authored by Larry McMurtry was in fact, loosely inspired by the histories and friendship of Oliver Loving and Charles Goodnight.

Goodnight founded the JA ranch in the Palo Duro Canyon in 1876. It was the first ranch in the Texas Panhandle, the name JA came from his partner John George Adair. A few years later, in 1880, Goodnight also founded the Panhandle Stockman's Association which sought to improve cattle-breeding and eliminate the threat of rustlers. Goodnight also preserved a herd of native bison which he often allowed the tribes relocated to Oklahoma to visit and hunt buffalo as they had in the past. The descendants of Goodnights herd survive to this day.

In his personal life, Charles Goodnight was married twice. First he was married to Mary Ann Dyer, a teacher from Weatherford, TX in 1870, until her death in 1926. With her, he established the Goodnight Academy to offer post-elementary education to the children of ranchers. In 1927 he married 26 year old Corinne Goodnight from Butte, Montana who he had been corresponding with due to their shared surname and who had nursed him back to health when he became ill after Mary Ann's death.

Charles Goodnight died December 12, 1929, in Tucson, Arizona, he was buried in Goodnight, Texas next to Mary Ann.

Hagan, William T. Charles Goodnigh: Father of the Texas Panhandle. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2007.

While the geologic history of Capulin Volcano began well over a million years ago, its involvement in human history has been much more recent. Capulin has traditionally been a crossroads of human activity as diverse people and cultures traversed to and from the Great Plains.

Archaeological evidence found at the Folsom Man site , eight miles from Capulin Volcano, confirms that Paleoindians roamed this area in search of Pleistocene Bison as early as ten thousand years ago. Likewise, groups of Native Americans, such as the Jicarilla Apache and the Ute, used this region as hunting grounds until the arrival of the Spanish in 1541. Early explorers Don Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and Juan de Padilla passed through Capulin area in search of riches and regions to conquer paving the way for a greater influx of Europeans and a transformation of the cultural landscape over the next 350 years.

Spain controlled New Mexico until August 1821 when Mexico declared independence. Spanish colonial trade had been limited, however, under the new regime barriers for New Mexico were gone and its doors were opened to traders from the burgeoning United States. In September 1821, William Becknell of Missouri blazed the Santa Fe Trail which would be followed by countless others in search of profit. Traders traveled several routes attempting to reach Santa Fe over the next twenty-five years while tensions built between the U.S. and Mexico and finally erupted in 1846 as the Mexican-American War. These trails proved invaluable by carrying soldiers and supplies to Santa Fe and beyond. The war ended in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo which officially made New Mexico a territory of the United States. Military forts such as Fort Union, Fort Larned and others were established along the trail to control Indian conflicts and protect travelers as a result. However in an effort to supply Fort Union as railroads began expanding westward, the original Santa Fe Trail routes were swiftly abandoned for the Granada-Fort Union Military Freight Route which passed directly south and east of Capulin Volcano's base. As the Santa Fe Trail neared its decline, a new industry was rising. Ranching and sheep herding had previously been commonplace throughout the plains but overnight cattle became the more profitable industry.

Struggling to feed soldiers and captives at Fort Sumner, the War Department issued advertisements offering to pay high prices for cattle. Two Texas cattle dealers, despite the risks, forged a trail from Texas to New Mexico which became known as the Goodnight-Loving Trail. Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving drove cattle north through sparsely populated, lawless regions with very little water to Fort Sumner. The cattle not sold to the military continued north, directly past Capulin Volcano, to Colorado for sale at the market. The cattle industry grossed a million dollars over the next five years and created a profitable economy for Great Plains which remains to this day.

Capulin plays host to many birds throughout the year, from hawks and turkey vultures to towhees and hummingbirds. On occasion, a roadrunner or great horned owl may appear as well. The prairie grasslands surrounding the volcano are prime hunting ground for birds of prey, while the abundant pinyon/juniper woodland provides protective cover for smaller birds. Ravens and hawks can be seen riding the warm columns of air that rise up and around the volcanic cone, called thermals. As you hike, listen for the chitter and rustling of smaller birds as they seek out insects or seeds in the sheltered undergrowth of pinyon, juniper, and Gambel's oak.

Hawks can sometimes be seen soaring above the monument, catching a ride on the thermals rising above the volcano or soaring above the surrounding grassland. Red-tailed hawks, Ferringous hawks, and Northern Harriers have been spotted in the monument and are all raptors, or birds of prey, that use the prairie surrounding Capulin as their hunting ground. Their hooked beaks and sharp talons aid them in hunting small rodents, lizards, and snakes. Look to the skies for their broad, rounded wings and short, broad tails, and listen for their signature screech - the one characterized in Hollywood movies.

Capulin Volcano lies within a transition zone, from the high elevations of the Rocky Mountains to the sweeping grasslands of the Great Plains. The prevailing wind direction in this region is westerly. Once precipitation moving into the region reaches the grasslands, there is generally only enough water to support short (less than 2 feet) and medium-sized (2-4 feet) grasses. However, as the winds travel toward Capulin, they pick up more moisture and as a result deliver enough precipitation to support a few tall grass (over 5 feet) species.

Within the monument, shortgrass prairie is dominant. Medium- sized grasses, and the three main species of tall grasses (Big Bluestem, Indiangrass, and Switchgrass) are also present. Blue grama and Sideoats grama are two dominant grasses that thrive in the monument.

The yucca plant is found throughout the monument, living well under dry conditions. With narrow, blade-like leaves, it grows to an average height of two feet. In the summer, yuccas grow a stem that rises two to four feet above the leaves and blooms with white-green flowers; early settlers termed the beautifully blooming plant "lamparas de Dios," or "lamps of the Lord." The fibrous leaves can be stripped and woven into rope, used by Native Americans to create baskets, sandals, and mats. Yucca has been given the common name soapweed, as Native Americans crushed the roots to make a mild soap and shampoo.

Pinyon pine is found throughout the monument, from the slopes of the volcano to the base and surrounding area. The monument's high elevation and low annual precipitation create a well-suited habitat for the pinyons that thrive in arid conditions. The pinyon serves the volcano in providing a sturdy root base that slows the steep slopes' rate of erosion. For wildlife, the trees' seeds are an important food source for birds, squirrels, deer, and even bear. Native Americans also utilized the seeds in their diet, and the tree's sap for basket and jewlrey making. As the state tree of New Mexico, the pinyon has and continues to be a sustenance-providing and iconic part of life in the southwest.

Juniper grows alongside the pinyon pine at Capulin Volcano. Two species exist within the monument, the one-seed juniper (Juniperus monosperma) and the Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum). Junipers have tight, scaly leaves that are compact to the branch and bark that has a shredded appearance. The juniper berry, light blue and pea-sized, is actually the plant's cone, and has been known to be used as a flavoring for cooking and tea. Junipers can grow up to 40 feet high, but growth is very slow and depends on the amount of water and nutrients available. The resiliency of the juniper is shown in especially dry, sloping land; the gnarled and twisted shape of the tree is a result of too little water.

Hiker on the Crater Rim Trail. NPS L. CARTMELL Capulin Volcano Trails The Volcano Highway (road to the top) is now open to pedestrians and bicycles. Please follow the safety guidlines and stay within the bike/pedestrian lane as much as possible. Pets are allowed on a no longer than 6' leash. Dog Friendly!

The Crater Rim Trail is a paved, 1 mile loop around the rim of the volcano. It is moderately difficult due to steep climbs and descents. Informational waysides provide visitors information about the surrounding features in the Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field. No pets. The Crater Vent Trail is a 0.2 mile (one-way) trail leading to the bottom of the Capulin's crater. This trail is paved and has an elevation change of 100 feet. No pets. The Lava Flow Trail at the base of the volcano is an unimproved, 1 mile loop that crosses one of the volcano's lava flows while providing great views of the surrounding volcanic topography. No pets. The Boca Trail is an unimproved, 2 mile strenuous loop through the Boca area. This is the vent area at the base from which the volcano's lava flows originated. The trail provides close up views of numerous geologic features. No pets.

All trails except the Nature Trail are hiking only. No vehicles, including strollers, are allowed.

The Volcano Highway (road to the top) is now open to pedestrians and bicycles. Please follow the safety guidlines and stay within the bike/pedestrian lane as much as possible. Pets are allowed on a no longer than 6' leash. Dog Friendly! The Crater Rim Trail is a paved, 1 mile loop around the rim of the volcano. It is moderately difficult due to steep climbs and descents. Informational waysides provide visitors information about the surrounding features in the Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field. No pets.

The Boca Trail is an unimproved, 2 mile strenuous loop through the Boca area. This is the vent area at the base from which the volcano's lava flows originated. The trail provides close up views of numerous geologic features. No pets. The Nature Trail is adjacent to the visitor center. It is a figure eight sidewalk trail that is handicap accessible. Stop along the way at descriptors discussing plant life, geology, and wildlife in this short walk around a volcanic "squeeze up." Dog Friendly!