Isaac Herschel Goodnight (January 31, 1849 – July 24, 1901) was a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

Early life and family

Isaac Goodnight was born near

Scottsville, Kentucky Scottsville is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city in Allen County, Kentucky, Allen County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the county seat, seat of its county. The population was 4,299 during the 2020 United States census. His ...

on January 31, 1849."Goodnight, Isaac Herschel". ''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress'' He was the son of Isaac and Lucinda (Billingsby) Goodnight.''Biographical Cyclopedia'', p. 179 He is the great nephew of Isaac Goodnight of

Harrodsburg, Kentucky Harrodsburg is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Mercer County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 9,064 at the 2020 census. Although Harrodsburg was formally established by the Virginia House of Burgesses after Boo ...

, born January 1, 1782, who is believed to have been the first white male child born in what is now Kentucky. Goodnight attended the common schools of the area. In 1870, his family moved to

Franklin, Kentucky Franklin is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Simpson County, Kentucky, United States. The county is located on the south central border of the state, and its population was 10,176 at the 2020 census. Kentucky Downs, formerl ...

. He matriculated to

Cumberland University Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1842. The oldest campus buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896. History 1842–1861 The university was founded by the Cumberl ...

Lebanon, Tennessee Lebanon ( ) is the county seat of Wilson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 38,431 at the 2020 census. Lebanon is located in Middle Tennessee, approximately east of downtown Nashville. Lebanon is part of the Nashville Metro ...

earning a degree in 1872 a law degree in 1873. He returned to Franklin, serving as deputy circuit clerk while

reading law Reading law was the primary method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship u ...

, and was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1874. He commenced practice in Franklin. On March 12, 1879, Goodnight married Ella Hoy.''Biographical Cyclopedia'', p. 180 The couple had one son, Hoy Goodnight.

Political career

In 1877, Goodnight was elected to the

Kentucky House of Representatives The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form a ...

, serving a single, two-year term. He served as the chairman of the Democratic Kentucky convention at

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

in 1891. He was elected to represent the Third District in the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

in 1888. He was twice re-elected, serving in the Fifty-first, Fifty-second, and Fifty-third Congresses (March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1895). During his tenure, he was a member of the Judiciary Committee, rising to third in seniority on that committee by the end of his third term.

Later life and death

Due to ill health and the fact that his absence from home was hurting his legal practice, Goodnight did not seek re-election in 1894. After leaving Congress, he was elected a judge of the seventh Kentucky circuit in 1897 and served until his death in Franklin on July 24, 1901. He was buried in Green Lawn Cemetery. His home in Franklin, the Goodnight House, is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Goodnight, Isaac 1849 births 1901 deaths Cumberland University alumni Kentucky lawyers Kentucky state court judges Democratic Party members of the Kentucky House of Representatives People from Allen County, Kentucky Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law 19th-century Kentucky state court judges 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Kentucky General Assembly