The UT swim center was built on Horst’s pasture.
HORST PASTURE
August Whitman was a hackney driver in Austin in 1878. One evening when his workday had ended, upon returning home he informed his wife he intended to go to the circus. After wiping down the horses and putting the carriage away he went into his house and ate the dinner his wife had prepared. Finally, August began his walk downtown and into the festive atmosphere that filled the city whenever the circus came to town. Later, a neighbor would remember seeing him pass by, headed in the direction of the city. She was the last person to see him alive.
The next day with the light of the morning 2 boys walking through the field known as Horst’s Pasture because it was owned by Mr. Horst whose house was on the southern end of the pasture. The boys came upon Mr. Whitman’s body. His skull was crushed on the front and on the back. His throat was slit from ear to ear, almost decapitating him. The city coroner detected chloroform around his face and hypothesized that Mr. Whitman was rendered helpless from the chloroform and drug to the pasture. There the murder took place. No signs of wheel or horse tracks were found nearby. A bloodied white handled pocketknife was found near the body. His pants pockets were turned out and his watch was missing.
For over 20 years reports of strange lights moving through the field were reported. Shadows have been seen as well. Until the University of Texas built the swim center Horst’s Pasture was considered a haunted Austin spot, and only the bravest Austinite would walk through the field at night.
