Ever heard of a goat running for mayor? In 1986, the tiny town of Lajitas, Texas, elected a beer-drinking goat named Clay Henry as its mayor! Lajitas, a small border town near Big Bend National Park, had a population of just a few hundred and a quirky sense of humor. The town’s general store owner, Tommy Steele, decided to drum up tourism by holding a mock election. He put his pet goat, Clay Henry, on the ballot as a joke, and the locals loved it so much that the goat won in a landslide.
Clay Henry wasn’t just a figurehead—he had a taste for the high life. The goat was famous for guzzling beer, often downing a bottle in seconds while tourists cheered. Visitors would flock to Lajitas to snap photos with the mayor, who lived in a pen outside the general store, happily accepting beer offerings. The stunt worked wonders, turning Lajitas into a quirky tourist stop. Clay Henry even had successors—when he passed away in 1992, his son, Clay Henry II, took over, followed by Clay Henry III, keeping the mayoral dynasty alive.
The tradition wasn’t without drama. In 1992, a man got jealous of Clay Henry III’s beer-drinking fame and attacked the goat, leading to a local uproar. The attacker was arrested for animal cruelty, and the story made national headlines, cementing the Clay Henry legacy. Today, Lajitas still celebrates its unusual mayors, with a stuffed Clay Henry on display at the local museum. It’s a hilarious reminder that even in politics, sometimes the most unexpected candidate can steal the show. Share this wild tale with your friends and come back for more weird history facts!
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