This document investigates the local legend of the Gator Children of Berrien County, Georgia, confirming their existence and shedding light on their challenging lives. These two siblings, Madison (Mattie/Matt) and Bettie (Betty) Cook, children of Jack and Melissa M. Cook, were afflicted with a severe form of ichthyosis, a genetic skin disorder characterized by dry, scaly skin, deafness, unusual teeth, and limited mobility, often requiring them to crawl. From at least 1905, their parents exhibited them across the eastern United States at fairs and carnivals, including the Tampa Fair and the Jamestown Exposition, earning a reported $200 per month plus expenses. Bettie, in particular, was frequently showcased as the "Alligator Girl," described with exaggerated features to draw crowds. Despite their lives on display, there are no known photographs of them other than a single image of Betty Cook, likely taken around age twenty-five or thirty, which shows her posed sitting up, though her usual mode of travel was crawling or being carried. After their parents' deaths, their sister, Luanna Cook Warren, cared for them until their passing. The "Gator Children" were ultimately buried in a simple, unmarked family plot alongside their parents at Long Bridge Cemetery, with their legacy primarily existing as a "mythical name" in the community's memory.

Subject(Names): Bahara, Arizona; Chandler, Arinda; Cook, Bettie; Cook, Elijah; Cook, Frank; Cook, Jack; Cook, James Jack; Cook, Jasper; Cook, Madison; Cook, Mary Melissa; Cook, William M.; Lewis, Melissa M.; McLeod, Eddie; McLeod, Johnny; Warren, Luanna Cook; Warren, M. D. Sr.