Since I first wrote about Two-Toed Tom, a notorious alligator from Alabama, he has gotten his own Wikipedia page and a listing on Villains Wiki. That last one seems a little harsh but it does add to Tom’s fame, which got a boost in 2015 when the gator was mentioned in Harper Lee’s “Go Set a Watchman.”

Two-Toed Tom, who was initially spotted in the area of Florala, Ala., was an 18-foot-long gator who has been the source of numerous legends, newspaper articles and mentions in books. Oh, and he has his own festival in Florida.

The festival is held in John Clark Park in Esto, Fla., because later in his life, Tom wandered across the state line and ended up in Florida’s swamps. This year’s event is Sept. 14, 2024. The one-day festival features lumberjack competitions, as well as classic cars, food trucks, crafts vendors and live music, according to its website.

“Prepare for an adrenaline-packed spectacle as world-class lumberjack sports athletes compete in a series of timber events,” the site says. “Flannel-clad woodsmen and women showcase their skills in axe throwing, logrolling, tree climbing, single buck saw, obstacle pole, hot saw, speed climb, and more. From the precision and control required for the axe throw to the power and technique needed for the springboard chop, you will see a wide variety of exciting, fast-paced events.”

The festival also features a parade of mini vehicles decorated by participants. Vehicles allowed include bikes, wagons, go-carts, golf-carts, ATVs and lawnmowers.

Why lumberjack competitions? Apparently, there is a connection. According to a 1987 story in The Ocala Star-Banner in Florida, Tom would emit a chilling bellow in response to the whistle signaling shift changes at the Alabama-Florida Lumber Co.

But was Tom real? From my research I have decided that Tom was quite real. A search of Newspapers.com turns up 265 matches, including some from the 1970s and 1980s claiming he was still alive. But I also learned some of the dastardly acts attributed to him may have been exaggerated.

The name Two-Toed Tom comes from the footprints the gator left behind, which showed he had only two toes on his left front foot. Legend claimed his foot was caught in a steel trap, one of many brushes with death Tom is said to have survived, including gunfire and dynamite. The reason so many people wanted to kill him? He allegedly ate a farmer’s mule, chickens, pets and people.

Initial reports of Tom began in the early 1900s and he was mentioned in the 1934 book “Stars Fell on Alabama.”

In 2015, Harper Lee mentioned the gator in “Go Set a Watchman.” On page 54, her adult character Jean Louise is talking with Henry on the way to the river.

She said, “You can feel the river already.” “You must be half alligator,” said Henry. “I can’t.” “Is Two-toed Tom still around?” Two-Toed Tom lived wherever there was a river. He was a genius: he made tunnels beneath Maycomb and ate people’s chickens at night; he was once tracked from Demopolis to Tensas. He was as old as Maycomb County. “We might see him tonight.”