There is a put in Florida that crafted a 12-foot-high monument in the course of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone should do that?
Nicely, 1st off, heroes are challenging to get using this type of location in Florida - the Panhandle cash of scotland - Wausau, house of much less than 500 folks in the center of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero to put it mildly? No one else places the possum in excess of a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, again 1982, Wausau acquired Fed up with becoming omitted of the Florida lists of entertaining, fairs and festivals. Just about every spot in Florida wants a Competition. Rather than a person invest Florida features a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you've got never attended Washington County, you most likely will Believe I am As a result, making this up. Should you have attended Washington County, you can realize - and know it is a genuine Tale.
Wausau, it turned out, experienced some pretty potent possum politicians in the early '80s. Listed below are a couple of things they achieved:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the initial Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led on the making while in the monument along Condition Highway 77 in Wausau.

They even received The usa Congress to industry the possum. Congress joined the enjoyment by giving the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have an area to hold its annual Pleasurable Working day and Possum Pageant. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, among the other matters, the festival attracts Many individuals yearly, and In addition they like it.
Time out for get more info the handful of educating of Northerners below. The South's possum is the identical lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will do?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and shows its ugly entire body only in the evening. This is why, In case you are inside ideal put in Florida, you'll be able to hear possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by canines, the possum 'freezes', for that reason it is not so hard to hook (or shoot) one.
An inscription around the monument in the guts of Wausau cites the possum's part in furnishing 'both fur and foods' throughout the centuries. It goes on to say: 'Their presence right here has offered a resource of nutritious and flavorful food items in standard periods and has been a significant support to human survival in occasions of distress and significant require.'
Chortle if you like. The people today of Wausau will chuckle with you - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.