Georgia's Legendary Monsters

A view of Altamaha River from I-95

Hey Legend Trippers, our planet is full of exciting legends the fantastic and the unexplained,told from generation to generation  As you know, every state in the US has legends, even Rhode Island. Some of them a little too fantastic to believe and some, might have some truth behind them. When I first moved to Florida, I found it a target rich environment when it came to legends. But I also found some of the neighboring states have about the same or more legends. The first state I went looking at was Georgia, maybe because it was right next to Florida, but also because it is one of the few that has a sea serpent legend. In this post I wanted to talk about some of the neat legends out of the beautiful state of Georgia. The first legend I want to talk about it Georgia’s very own sea monster “Altie”.

 

On the outer part of the small town of Darien, lies one of the largest rivers in Georgia, the Altamaha River. The river which crosses underneath I-95, empties in to the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Georgia. It is said to be one of the largest river basins in the country, and has a lot of tributaries (small creeks) to this river. Legend has it that in the waters of this river dwells is a strange unknown aquatic creature. The creature or sea serpent is affectionately called “Altie”. Sightings of Georgia’s Loch Ness monster go back to the times before whites settled the area. The Tama Indians have legends about the animal. Jim Miles stated in his book “Weird Georgia” that “Centuries ago, the Tama Indians first told tales of a huge water serpent that hissed and bellowed." In the 1920s, settlers who rode the river reported sighting something that fits the description of Altie. Other sightings include a Boy Scout troop from the 1940s and two officials from the Reidsville State Prison from the 1950s. One of the most recent reports was from 2002 when a man who was pulling a boat up the river near Brunswick reported seeing something over twenty feet in length and six feet wide break the water. The man reported that the animal seemed to emerge from the water to get air and then submerge again beneath the depths. Others who have seen the animal say that it has dull gray skin and looks to be spotted in some places.”

There is some speculation that what people are seeing are either large snakes, dolphins that swim upriver from the coast, alligators, manatees, or even a thought to be an extinct “Caribbean monk seal” 

But some of those who have reported seeing the creature swear that they know the difference and are not seeing those things. One report mentioned that the animal swam under a boat and gave it a big "whack" with its long tail. Others speculate that the animal could be some oceanic cryptid that actually swims in to the Altamaha and spawns before going back out to sea.

The Altie display at the Visitor's Center

The legend is quite popular in the McIntosh and Glynn County areas, which both border the Altamaha River and are on the coast. In fact, If you are driving on I-95 and get off at the Darien exit, there is a visitor’s center and in it you can view and get your picture with a life size statue of Altie.

http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/okefenokeebigfoot.html

The next Georgia legend, which to me is one of the most exciting Bigfoot stories to date, is the 1829 Bigfoot attack on a hunting party in the Okefenokee Swamp. The tale originated near the south end of Ware County, where the line that divides Georgia from Florida passes through the Okefenokee.

In 1829, the first settlers were just pushing into the fringes of the swamp. Surrounded by the stunning beauty of the swamp, they quickly picked up on an Indian legend that held a mysterious race of people lived on an island deep in the wilderness. According to Creek Indian legend the Okefenokee Swamp lurked a tribe of giant hairy beasts that would attack anybody venturing into the swamps.

The winter of 1828-1829 was extremely dry and two men living on the edges of the swamp decided to explore as deep into it as they could. Accompanied by a boy, they went into the Okefenokee and over a course of two weeks continued to penetrate deeper and deeper into it. As they explored the very heart of the swamp, they made a startling discovery of gigantic footprints: The length of the foot was eighteen. The monster, from every appearance, must have moved forward in an easy or hesitating gait, his stride, from heel to toe, being a trifle over six feet. Ending their expedition and retreating out of the swamp, they related to their friends and neighbors what they had seen.

The story excited the curiosity of a party of hunters who lived just across the Florida line. The party consisting of nine hunters ventured into the mysterious swamp to find these legendary giant. They were guided by one of the members of the original party. Following their guide for some days, the hunters came at length upon the track first discovered, some vestiges of which were still remaining. They began to follow these traces several days longer, they came to a halt on a little eminence, and determined to pitch their camp, and refresh themselves for the day.

That night a large hairy bipedal beast attack the party, killing five to the men buy by wringing the head. In other words, it twisted the head right off the body. The large animal was eventually subdued by a hail of bullets from the hunters. As the creature lay dying on the ground, screaming from the multiple gunshot wounds, the surviving hunters made a close inspection of the mysterious animal. The creature was found to measure thirteen feet from head to toe, and "his breadth and volume of just proportions." The remaining hunters leaving their dead comrades behind fled in fear that the dying monster's cries might attract others of its kind. The expedition made the newspaper and was published in February 1829.