This is the weird kind-of origin story of Marsh's Free Museum's crown jewel - a taxidermied creature named Jake the Alligator Man.

Sources

• https://www.atlasobscura.com/experiences/monster-of-the-month-w-colin-dickey-jake-the-alligator-man
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_the_Alligator_Man
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiji_mermaid
• https://web.archive.org/web/20070906051510/http://www.columbian.com/news/strange/outerlimits/alligator.cfm
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/574150447/
• https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/jake-the-alligator-man-long-beach-washington
• https://www.marshsfreemuseum.com/jakes-place/
• https://barbaradevore.com/2023/08/01/jake-the-alligator-man-2/
• https://weeklyworldnews.com/headlines/1717/manigator-found/
• https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Jake_the_Alligator_Man
• https://www.reddit.com/r/Cryptozoology/comments/12az1fj/jake_the_alligator_man_at_marshs_free_museum/
• https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2973
• https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/marshs-free-museum
• https://www.visitlongbeachpeninsula.com/event/jake-the-alligator-mans-birthday/
• https://www.discoverourcoast.com/coast-weekend/coastal-life/out-of-this-world-at-75-again-jake-the-alligator-man-is-still-legend/article_24a4ebf5-7388-5fcc-ac72-bd6423d894d9.html