There is a commit Florida that built a 12-foot-substantial monument in the heart of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any person choose to do that?
Effectively, 1st off, heroes get time and effort to investigation using this spend Florida - the Panhandle money of scotland - Wausau, property of a lot less than 500 persons in the middle of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero to state the least? No person else puts the possum having a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, again 1982, Wausau obtained fed up with being omitted of the Florida lists of fun, fairs and festivals. Each individual spend Florida would like a Competition. Instead of a person commit Florida carries a Possum Competition. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have not attended Washington County, you probably will think I am producing this up. Should you have attended Washington County, you can expect to recognize - and know this can be a real Tale.
Wausau, it ended up, had some quite impressive possum politicians in the early '80s. Listed below are two factors they achieved:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the extremely very first Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led into the making with the monument together State Highway 77 in Wausau.

They even received The usa Congress in selling the possum. Congress joined the enjoyable by the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a place to hold its yearly Entertaining Day and Possum Pageant. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, among other matters, the festival draws in 1000s of persons each and every year, moreover they uncover it irresistible.
Trip for many educating of Northerners listed here. The South's possum is identical lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use seven letters when 6 will do?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and exhibits its unpleasant body only during the night time. That is why, when you are here inside proper commit Florida, you'll be able to hear possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it's easy enough seize (or shoot) one particular.
An inscription within the monument in the course of Wausau cites the possum's purpose in delivering 'each fur and foodstuff' with the whole hundreds of years. It goes on to say: 'Their existence listed here has furnished a useful resource of nutritious and flavorful meals in normal situations and has been A vital help to human survival a great deal more distress and critical have to have.'
Chuckle if you want. The people today of Wausau will laugh along with you - whilst downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.