A Place in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum

There is a commit Florida that developed a 12-foot-significant monument throughout town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any individual choose to do that?
Properly, to start with, heroes are hard to find within just this devote Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, home of fewer than 500 individuals throughout Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an not likely hero as you'd probably hope? No one else puts the possum with a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, previous 1982, Wausau received Ill and Weary of staying overlooked within the Florida lists of fun, fairs and festivals. Each individual commit Florida desires a festival. And not a person place in position Florida contains a Possum Pageant. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have in no way attended Washington County, you almost certainly will Imagine I am producing this up. When you've got attended Washington County, you may fully grasp - and know this can be a real Tale.
Wausau, it proved, had some really strong possum politicians in early '80s. Here are a set of issues they attained:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the quite first Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led towards the making through the monument alongside State Freeway 77 in Wausau.

They even acquired The us Congress in advertising the possum. Congress joined the exciting by offering the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau would have a location to hold its once-a-year Enjoyable Day and Possum Pageant. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, among the other factors, the festival appeals to plenty of folks each year, and they like it.
Day out for many educating of Northerners listed here. The South's possum is comparable lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use seven letters when six can perform?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and shows its unappealing human body only at night. That is why, click here if you're while in the proper area in Florida, you can listen to possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by canines, the possum 'freezes', so It is really not challenging to capture (or shoot) a single.
An inscription for your monument in the course of Wausau cites the possum's function in providing 'both equally fur and food items' through the hundreds of years. It goes on to say: 'Their existence right here has provided an origin of nutritious and flavorful food in usual periods and it's got been a vital help to human survival when in distress and critical will need.'
Chortle if you prefer. The individuals of Wausau will snicker together with you - whilst downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.