El Paso Has Crazy Neighbors – Lajitas May Be The Craziest

From crazy hot chili to crazy beer chugging Judges - to crazy beer guzzling goat Mayors - West Texas may be the quirkiest part of the lone star state.

Terlingua, Texas is located about 300 miles from El Paso and totally worth the drive. It's a ghost town on one side of the street and a bustling tourist attraction on the other. Plus, once a year, it's home to a zillion chili lovers from all over the US and beyond.

Judge Roy Bean - Law West Of The Pecos

Other west Texas oddities include a bar in Valentine that is sometimes open ... you'll know if you see a car door with a "Bar Open" sign sitting next to the highway ... and the colorful history of Judge Roy Bean. He held court in Langtry, Texas, (in a bar), and fined law breakers whatever they had on 'em in addition to other shady business.

READ MORE: Texas Coolest Highway Starts, (Or Ends, I Guess), In West Texas

Another town elected an alcoholic goat as Mayor.. Back then, apparently, that was the best they could do. Honestly, I feel the same way about todays political options.

The Goat Mayor Of Lajitas, Texas

Ok ... I know ... as interesting, almost comical, as the barroom/court antics of Judge  Roy Bean were, it's the drunken goat - mayor that got you here so, here's his deal. First, there wasn't one goat mayor, there were several.

Goat Mayor Clay wasn't the last goat Mayor either, he was succeeded by his sons - Clay the 2nd and Clay the 3rd. Believe it or not, THIS is where it gets weird ...

What Happened to Mayor Clay?

As is usually the case with dynasty's, especially political or royal ones, there's always some sordid drama. In true Shakespearean fashion, Clay senior gets off - ed by his own son in a drunken brawl over a female goat. Unlike his Dad, Clay II clearly could not hold his alcohol.

I'm so not kidding, look it up.

Clay Henry III And IV - Well, III Anyway

Another sad, twisted, sick turn of events ensured there would be no Clay IV.

After catching Clay the 3rd drinking on a Sunday, (which local blue laws prevented at that time), a local A - hole who shall remain nameless, (unless you click here), viciously attacked Mayor Clay.

... one of the men who had shared the precious Sunday longneck was upset that the resort owner wasted it on the goat. In a cruel, ironic twist, he decided to take his anger out on the mayor. Later that night, someone broke into the mayor’s cage and castrated him. - blog.txfb.

Honestly, internet notwithstanding, you can't make this stuff up.

The Clay Legacy

I'm not sure how many mayoral decisions any of the Clay's had to make ... or, how sound they may have been ... but, luckily, Lajitas only has about 100 residents. I'm sure anything really important, they worked out themselves. Probably over (more) beer and a quick game of rock, paper, scissors or something.