There's a put in position Florida that created a 12-foot-significant monument in the center of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone want to perform that?
Nicely, to get started on, heroes acquire effort and time to return by During this area in Florida - the Panhandle capital of scotland - Wausau, home of less than five hundred folks in the middle 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 over a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, in 1982, Wausau obtained fed up with currently being left out from your Florida lists of entertaining, fairs and festivals. Just about every dedicate Florida demands a Competition. And not 1 set in position Florida carries a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you have not frequented Washington County, you probably will think I'm earning this up. When you have attended Washington County, you can expect to recognize - and know it is a real story.
Wausau, it turned out, had some rather highly effective possum politicians noisy . '80s. Allow me to share a pair of items they completed:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led on the constructing from the monument along Condition Freeway 77 in Wausau.
They even obtained the United States Congress to publicize the possum. Congress joined the pleasurable by the funds for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau may need a region to help keep its once-a-year Fun Working day and Possum Pageant. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, amid other factors, the Pageant attracts Many individuals yearly, and in order that they adore it.
Time out For several educating of Northerners below. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will carry out?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and displays its unattractive body only at nighttime. That is why, while you are Within the correct place in place Florida, you can listen to possum hunters' canines baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it's not challenging to trap (or shoot) just one.
An inscription across the monument throughout Wausau cites the possum's position check here in furnishing 'each fur and foodstuff' in the course of the overall hundreds of years. It goes on say: 'Their existence in this article has delivered an origin of nutritious and flavorful meals in normal times and incorporates been an important assist to human survival in the course of times of distress and demanding have to have.'
Chuckle if you'd desire. The individuals of Wausau will giggle together with you - although downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.