There's a commit Florida that crafted a 12-foot-superior monument in the middle of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone may like to do that?
Nicely, to begin with, heroes get time and effort to come by On this spot in Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, home of much less than five hundred individuals in the middle of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero to convey the least? Nobody else puts the possum with a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Next, final 1982, Wausau obtained sick and exhausted with staying left out With all the Florida lists of enjoyable, fairs and festivals. Each and every commit Florida requirements a Pageant. And never a single put set up Florida carries a Possum Pageant. Why don't you Wausau?
If you haven't been to Washington County, you probably will think I'm making this up. When you've got absent to Washington County, you can expect to recognize - and know this can be a correct story.
Wausau, it proved, had some really strong possum politicians in early '80s. Listed below are two things they attained:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the initial Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led towards the building in the monument alongside Condition Highway 77 in Wausau.

They even acquired The us Congress to sector the possum. Congress joined the enjoyable by offering the funds for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau would have a area to carry its yearly Enjoyable Working day and Possum Festival. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, among the other items, the Competition draws in 1000s of men and women per year, and so they like it.
Day out for your couple educating of Northerners in this article. The South's possum is identical lowly animal you contact opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will do?) It is a smallish marsupial that life in trees and exhibits its unappealing human body only during the night. That's why, In case you are within correct put in position Florida, you may hear possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by canines, the possum 'freezes', so It can be easy adequate to lure (or shoot) a person.
An inscription in regards to the monument in the course of Wausau click here cites the possum's job in furnishing 'both equally fur and food items' in the whole centuries. It goes on say: 'Their presence listed here has presented an origin of nutritious and flavorful foodstuff in regular times and consists of been an important assist to human survival through periods of distress and critical need.'
Chortle for those who'd choose. The people today of Wausau will chuckle in addition to you - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.