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Over the years many interesting people have passed through Andrews, but according to the old-timers, the most peculiar has been the “Lizard Man.” I wrote about him several years ago, but was asked by a reader if I knew anything about the man.
In the early 1960s, there was a scientific researcher seen all around Andrews who was known as the “Lizard Man.” He was always dressed in khaki pants and khaki shirts, with knee high leather lace-up boots, and he usually had a back pack.
His name was Jesse C. Nicholls Jr.
He was a zoologist who traveled throughout the counties of Western North Carolina searching for species of salamanders, or what the local folks call “spring lizards.” His collection of salamanders was used for research, as was other species he collected of frogs, snakes and even bats. It was rumored his research was through the University of Tennessee.
It was common for him to show up at logging camps deep in the mountains, searching for new species. He often hung around at the depot where the logs were unloaded and put on the train. By all accounts, he was a friendly man and loved to talk to the local folks, but many thought he was rather odd because of his unusual occupation.
Nicholls was often asked to lecture at surrounding universities, and he led groups of students on scientific trips researching for new and interesting species of salamanders here in the mountains, one of which was Emory University. It was reported that Rick Bagley of Murphy was asked to cover the outing for the Cherokee Scout as the official photographer.
“Cuz” Bagley wrote about the “Lizard Man” in his column of the Cherokee Scout a couple of times, and he said that years after his son accompanied Nicholls with the university students in their search for lizards and Fairy Shrimp, he finally got to meet the man with the high knee boots.
“I stopped in Hughes Hardware, and there he was,” wrote Bagley. “I had an opportunity to chat with him a few minutes, and I asked him if he was aware that a lot of people knew him not as Jesse or J.C. Nicholls, but as the Lizard Man. He laughed a hearty chuckle and said, ‘Yes, I’m also known as the Bat Man, the Frog Man, and sometimes, the Snake Man’ .”
These mountains are filled with scientific specimens, both in animal and plant life, some only found in the Nantahala Gorge. Once my daughter was over in the mountains of Nantahala on Johnson Branch and she saw a frog that was bright red with black spots. So she told her professor, Dr. Stuart at UNCA, and they researched the frog documentation, but never found anything close to that specimen.
We grew up playing in the creeks and roaming the mountains under Joanna Bald, grazing on edible plants, berries and nuts, but our favorite pastime was catching lizards. I never knew the “Lizard Man,” but I know I would have found him very interesting.
Kandy Barnard is a columnist for the Cherokee Scout. To talk about the Andrews Valley, call her at 828-361-3268 or email kandybarnard@gmail.com.