There's a spend Florida that built a 12-foot-significant monument throughout city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would everyone must do that?
Very well, first off, heroes are difficult to come back by within this devote Florida - the Panhandle capital of scotland - Wausau, residence of a lot less than five hundred people throughout Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero To place it mildly? No one else places the possum in excess of a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Next, again 1982, Wausau acquired Ill and Fed up with staying left out through the Florida lists of enjoyable, fairs and festivals. Every single devote Florida demands a Pageant. And never 1 put set up Florida contains a Possum Festival. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have not been to Washington County, you probably will Feel I'm As a result, creating this up. Should you have gone to Washington County, you can expect to understand - and know this can be a correct story.
Wausau, it proved, had some fairly impressive possum politicians throughout the early '80s. Listed below are a couple of factors they achieved:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the initial Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led for the constructing While using the monument alongside Condition Highway 77 in Wausau.

They even acquired The us Congress to market the possum. Congress here joined the enjoyment by way of supplying the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a spot to carry its once-a-year Entertaining Working day and Possum Competition. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, amongst other factors, the Pageant attracts loads of men and women Every and each year, as well as they adore it.
Trip for some educating of Northerners here. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you connect with opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 is going to do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and exhibits its hideous system only at night. This is exactly why, whenever you end up within correct area in Florida, you are able to listen to possum hunters' puppies baying and barking. Treed by canines, the possum 'freezes', as a result it really is not so tough to hook (or shoot) just one.
An inscription to the monument in the course of Wausau cites the possum's position in furnishing 'each fur and foodstuff' in the course of the overall hundreds of years. It goes on to say: 'Their existence below has furnished an origin of nutritious and flavorful meals in regular times and it has been a vital help to human survival way more distress and demanding need.'
Giggle if you want. The individuals of Wausau will chortle along - although downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.