Ken Orr

The Cowboy's Kids Ken Orr

About The Book The Cowboy's Kids is a sequel to my first book "Chalk". The hero in the first book and his wife had two children, a girl and a boy. About 1910, ranching and raising horses and cattle in Texas took on a whole new perspective. The advent of the automobile, the invention of the airplane and the expansion of the national railroad system into the west, made ranching and the cowboy lifestyle take a hard look at itself. The children from that era were generally raised with a strong work ethic and most of them were very aware of other new options for their lives. Chalk Goodwin had made a lot of money in ranching. He was a kingpin in his community and he recognized that the horse business was going to slow down. He asked his children if they were interested in also being ranchers and the reply was not positive. Chalk and his wife Wanda were growing old and decided to take the family on a vacation, riding the train to California. Trains back then were a new adventure and it was fashionable to travel on a train. The trip set the stage for everyone's life. Chalk divided the Texas ranch and sold smaller ranches to loyal employees for very reasonable prices. The money that resulted was used to start an investment company. The Goodwin parents made sure that the "Kids" got good educations. Shortly after a few more trips to California, the Goodwin parents passed away. Barbara, the oldest child, became her brother's keeper. She helped him find his future while she found a future for herself in Army Nursing. Carl learned how to fly. He became a superior pilot and his skills led him to become an airplane designer. He worked on several early aircraft programs and became a respected and creative aviation pioneer. When the Second World War came along he was drawn back into the Army Air Corp and became a bombing instructor. This assignment led him into the war effort and he served with the Allied Forces in England. Before overseas deployment, he fell in love and was marri