There's a position in Florida that built a 12-foot-significant monument for the duration of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anybody might love to do that?
Nicely, to start with, heroes are tricky to come by with this particular location in Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, home of a lot less than 500 folks in the center of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero as you would probably assume? No person else puts the possum with a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, past 1982, Wausau received Ill and tired of becoming disregarded in the Florida lists of exciting, fairs and festivals. Every set in place Florida needs a Pageant. Instead of one location in Florida includes a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you've got never ever attended Washington County, you almost certainly will Imagine I am causeing this being up. If you have been to Washington County, you will comprehend - and know This is a legitimate story.
Wausau, it turned out, had some fairly powerful possum politicians in the course of the early '80s. Listed below click here are two issues they accomplished:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the initial Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led to your developing with the monument along Condition Highway 77 in Wausau.
They even obtained America Congress to advertise the possum. Congress joined the enjoyable by the funds for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau may have a place to hold its yearly Enjoyment Working day and Possum Festival. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, between other issues, the Competition appeals to heaps of individuals Each and every and yearly, they usually adore it.
Time out for plenty of educating of Northerners below. The South's possum is the same lowly animal you connect with opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will do?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and exhibits its unappealing human body only at nighttime. That is why, Should you be inside the appropriate put in position Florida, you may listen to possum hunters' puppies baying and barking. Treed by puppies, the possum 'freezes', so It can be not tough to lure (or shoot) 1.
An inscription round the monument during Wausau cites the possum's purpose in supplying 'the two fur and food stuff' from the full centuries. It goes to say: 'Their existence listed here has offered a source of nutritious and flavorful food in standard moments and contains been an important assist to human survival during periods of distress and demanding require.'
Giggle for those who'd favor. The people today of Wausau will snicker along with you - whilst downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.