DENTON — Built in 1884, the Old Alton Bridge in Denton County might look like an ordinary iron crossing, but to Denton residents, it’s home to one of the tallest tales in Texas: the tale of the Goatman.
Once an African American farmer named Oscar Washburn, the Goatman was a Dentonite living near the bridge who was taken away by the nearby Ku Klux Klan. Due to the unfair times and the unpopularity of the Black community in the area, Washburn was lynched by the Klan, never to be seen again—literally. When members of the Klan went back for his body, it was gone and nowhere to be found, and the rest of the story became cloaked in theories and horror parables. The legend states that Washburn is half goat and half man, and to summon him, you must knock three times on the bridge’s frame. But ghost chasers must be warned—the Goatman is after his revenge.
From then on, the popularity of Washburn’s story grew. The Cult of Goatman made its way to the public in 2023, created by Ollie Asser, a horror enthusiast who took interest in the story. A native of Denton, Asser makes it a point to dress up like the Goatman, donning fur legs and hooves with a goat mask, and stomps around Old Alton Bridge as part of his tribute and dedication to spreading the tale of Washburn…