To some people, “Home is where the heart is” isn’t simply an old adage. Rumor has it that in Effingham County, between Shawnee and Clyo, there exists a hotbed of inbreeding so close-knit that members of the clan only have one of two last names: Edwards or Atchley.
Tiger Ridge, a dirt road lined with shanty homes where “marrying your own kind” takes on a whole new meaning, is said to be filled with the type of freakish folks who result when in-laws are related by blood. According to legend, the Tiger Ridgers suffer from dwarfism, bowed legs, and warts and have giant heads and extremities with twelve fingers or toes. Those who have tried to get a glimpse have purportedly paid the price: Tiger Ridgers are renowned for their suspicion of outsiders and have been known to try to pick off intruders with a shotgun.
By many accounts, Tiger Ridge inbreeding has gone on for generations, and local lore tells that even as far back as the 1930s, the federal government tried to break up the party by moving people out of the area. But Tiger Ridgers persevered, keeping their community tightly bound together and fueling derision from more cosmopolitan Georgians.
Perhaps due to an awareness of the folklore that abounds about their kinship, Tiger Ridgers have embarked on their own sort of PR campaign as of late. For the past several years, they have been decorating their homes with intricate Christmas light displays and inviting their neighbors to drive by for a peek at them (the lights, that is). They welcome visitors, and while agreeing that most of the people in Tiger Ridge actually are related, they don’t think it’s as outsiders fear––a current Tiger Ridge resident, interviewed by the Savannah Morning News, called the rumors about Tiger Ridge “hearsay” due to a “lack of understanding.” She also admited that she is married to her second cousin!
Dear Weird GA;
There’s a very weird spot near Savannah and Statesboro in North Effingham County, GA. It’s known as Tiger Ridge. This inbred community is mostly a shantytown, and has an interesting history. There are at least two stories I know of regarding its origin (but like all things given to folklore, hearsay, and rumor, I can't promise they are the right ones). The first one says that an elderly patriarch and major landowner died and his heirs were undecided on the ways and means of dividing their lands. Consequently, to keep the lands in the family, they intermarried. The second story cites two families given to the same problem. I do not know how far this event dates back.
In any case the grand stoner dare in small towns near Tiger Ridge was to venture out there. There were stories of disfigured, mutant-like characters living there. They were rumored to be extremely suspicious of strangers (probably due to ridicule and freak-hunters) and were known to throw stones at outsiders or shoot at them with rock-salt loaded shotguns. When I went there, I saw a lot of shanties but was left alone. There used to be road signs leading into Tiger Ridge saying: "enter at your own risks". Back in our wilder days one of my friends stole one of these and still proudly displays it on her wall.
I have heard that the Tiger Ridge community has opened up over the years and the rumors of gross deformity drastically dispelled in the process (it seems that familial dwarfism caused most of these––many of them exaggerated). At any rate, these people still prefer to keep to themselves. If this little note prompts anyone to visit, please be careful and in general treat them with respect. Dumbass teenagers freakhunting have caused them to turn a cold shoulder.
– RT in Atlanta
|
