There's a devote Florida that designed a twelve-foot-substantial monument in the midst of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any person wish to accomplish that?
Well, very first off, heroes are tricky to analysis within just this devote Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, house of beneath five hundred individuals in the middle of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero To place it mildly? No person else places the possum that has a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Next, in 1982, Wausau obtained Fed up with getting disregarded while in the Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Every spend Florida needs a Pageant. And never just one place in Florida encompasses a Possum Pageant. Why don't you Wausau?
If you've got never ever gone to Washington County, you most likely will Believe I am producing this up. When you have attended Washington County, you may fully grasp - and know It is just a real Tale.
Wausau, it turned out, experienced some pretty strong possum politicians through the early '80s. Listed here are certain things they attained:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led to your building in the monument together Condition Freeway 77 in Wausau.

They even received The usa Congress to advertise the possum. Congress joined the entertaining by giving the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a location to help keep its yearly Entertaining Working day and Possum Festival. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, among the other items, the Competition appeals to a lot of people on a yearly basis, plus they adore it.
Day trip for some educating of Northerners here. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you phone opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and demonstrates its unpleasant human body only at night. This is why, If you're inside the proper spot in Florida, you may hear possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it will be not difficult to catch (or shoot) one.
An inscription throughout the monument in the heart of Wausau cites the possum's role in furnishing 'both fur and meals' throughout the generations. It goes on to say: 'Their existence right here has delivered a here source of nutritious and flavorful foodstuff in standard situations and is made up of been a significant assist to human survival all through times of distress and significant have to have.'
Snicker if you want. The people of Wausau will laugh along with you - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.