The Goatman

Taylee Marcks

Harold Bosstick

English 212-005

16 March 2023

History-

The stories and sightings of the Goatman of Old Alton, Texas are very popular among folklorists, conspiracies theorists, and cryptid hunters. Old
Alton is about 3.5 miles from Corinth, Texas and although now being abandoned, still remains a fairly traveled destination due to the stories attached to the area. The sightings of Goatman as we are familiar with today were not reported until after this unsettling history occurred:
Around 50 years after the building of Old Alton Bridge (more commonly known as Goatman’s Bridge), Oscar Washburn and his family arrived and settled in Old Alton. It is important to note that Oscar was a black man living in a more rural and radical area of the south. Oscar was a successful farmer, mainly harboring goats, which eventually led to him being known as the “Goatman” by locals of the area. He would advertise himself and his farm by posting signs on the bridge coming into the town. The klansmen of the area were not fond of his success so in August of 1938, they broke into the Washburn home, stole Oscar away from his family, and brought him back to Old Alton Bridge where they hanged him. After hanging him, the klansmen looked over the edge of the bridge to try and see his body, only for nothing to be there. They never saw Oscar after that. Out of anger and retaliation for the presumably failed murder of Oscar, they returned to the Washburn residence once again, this time killing his family. Following this horrific story, strange sightings and events began to take place. People reported seeing apparitions with goats, sounds of hooves, growling, glowing eyes from the woods, and an abundance of abandoned cars near the bridge. It is also said that there are other spirits or apparitions that haunt the woods or surrounding area. These include a crying woman who seems to be looking for her lost child and reports or klansmen or satanic rituals taking place (Legends of America).

Legends-

There are plenty accounts of strange phenomena attached to Goatman and the area such as mentioned in the history behind Goatman, but there is not as much for firsthand encounters with the Goatman itself. Perhaps though, one of the most notable ones was accounted for by the Ghost Adventures crew. Many members of the crew reported experiencing shaking events following their exploration of Old Alton. Aaron Goodwin, a cameraman for the team, reported being shoved by unseen forces before beginning to choke himself which he says was due to something similar to possession (Travel Channel). There are very limited public reports of true encounters of what is assumed to be the Goatman. Many people mainly recount growling or a low-ranged voice telling them to “get off the bridge” along with being shoved, dragged, or pulled by an unseen force, hearing knocking or footsteps on the bridge despite no one there, glowing eyes or entities, howling or screaming coming from the woods, and more (CW 33).

Adaptations-

When it comes to existing adaptations of the story surrounding Old Alton Bridge, there is not much. The main story behind the bridge and Goatman is that of Oscar Washburn’s death and the killing of his family which caused the Goatman to now haunt the bridge and any individuals who dare visit it. Another theory behind the strange occurrences is that satanists were holding rituals on the bridge and opened a connection to the spiritual realm, allowing a demon to now claim and haunt the bridge (Dallas Observer). To my knowledge, there are no other public adaptations relating to the occurrences of Old Alton Bridge. When researching this entity I did come across another Goatman, this one being from Maryland. The main adaptation was that a scientist was trying to conduct an experiment with goats which ended up going poorly, leaving him to resemble that of half-goat, half-man.

Analysis-

Now that we have looked at the two main adaptations of the origin of Goatman, we can discuss their relevence and prevalence to the full story. In this case, I find the story of Oscar Washburn’s death to hold the most weight relating to the legend. Considering time period, the details of a black farmer raising livestock to try to bring success to his family and in turn being targeted by klansmen for it seems reasonable. While it is horrific to think about, I think many of us can acknowledge that a death filled with rage and hatred could be enough for anyone to want to haunt the area that acted as a connection between hate and success. I also find that the age of the story and the fact that it still holds relevance almost a century later shows how impactful it is to the area and the lore. I think the idea of the strange phenomena being due to satanists and cults seems more fitting considering the demonic nature of the Goatman, but it carries no evidence or long-term weight. It merely seems to connection demonic events to a demonic ritual.

Summary-

The story of Goatman and Old Alton Bridge is one that has outlived us and will continue to do so. The odd experiences people report such as violent behavior, strange noises including growling, howling, screaming, and footsteps, glowing entities, and cars seemingly abandoned for no true reason add to the haunted nature of the area and will continue to pull in audiences. The story of Oscar Washburn’s death in 1938 due to the KKK and his sudden disappearance will continue to be prevalent in the history of Old Alton. Other stories of cults, rituals, and satanists will contribute to the ongoing legends and perhaps future adaptations of the story. Maybe the smaller legends of the crying woman accompanying Goatman will rise up and contribute to future stories and encounters. Perhaps, if you find yourself in or near Dallas one day, you may decide to take a trip to Old Alton and see for yourself: Is the Goatman real?

Works Cited

“'The Heaviest One': Ghost Adventures Crew Still Rattled after Goatman's Bridge Encounter.” Travel Channel, 28 July 2021, https://www.travelchannel.com/shows/ghost-adventures/articles/the-heaviest-one-ghost-adventures-crew-still-rattled-after-goatmans-bridge-encounter.

North, Caroline. “Denton Urban Legend Put to the Test on Buzzfeed Web Series.” Dallas Observer, Dallas Observer, 9 Nov. 2017, https://www.dallasobserver.com/arts/buzzfeed-supernatural-investigators-visit-denton-bridge-to-see-if-its-really-haunted-by-a-half-goat-half-demon-10051546.

Roberts, Tim. “DFW Ghost Stories: Does the 'Goatman' Haunt Argyle's Old Alton Bridge?” CW33 Dallas / Ft. Worth, CW33 Dallas / Ft. Worth, 17 Oct. 2016, https://cw33.com/news/dfw-ghost-stories-does-the-goatman-haunt-old-alton-bridge/.

Weiser-Alexander, Kathy. “Alton, Texas and the Haunted Goatman's Bridge.” Legends of America, https://www.legendsofamerica.com/tx-alton/.