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

United States representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together the ...

from

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virgini ...

Early life and family

Isaac Goodnight was born near

Scottsville, Kentucky Scottsville is a home rule-class city in Allen County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 4,226 during the 2010 U.S. Census. History The site along Bays Fork was settled in 1797 and developed into a ...

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 Mercer County, Kentucky, United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 9,064 at the 2020 census. Although Harrodsburg was formally established by the House of Burgesses after Boonesbor ...

, 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, formerly ...

. He matriculated to

Cumberland University Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee. It was founded in 1842. The campus's current historic buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896. History 1842-1861 The university was founded by the Cumberland ...

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 Metropoli ...

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 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 under th ...

, 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 Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Kentucky convention at

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana borde ...

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

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together the ...

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 The Goodnight House, at 201 S. Main St. in Franklin, Kentucky, was built in 1893. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Designed by the McDonald Brothers, it is Late Victorian in style. It has also been known as t ...

, is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

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 19th-century American politicians American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law 19th-century American judges