There's a location in Florida that constructed a 12-foot-superior monument all through town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would everyone would like to do that?
Properly, to begin with, heroes take time and effort to investigate on this spend Florida - the Panhandle money of scotland- Wausau, property of less than five hundred individuals in the guts of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero understandably? Nobody else puts the possum to the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, past 1982, Wausau received Unwell and Bored with remaining ignored from the Florida lists of fun, fairs and festivals. Each individual devote Florida wishes a Competition. And not a single position in Florida contains a Possum Competition. Why not Wausau?
If you have never visited Washington County, you probably will Believe I am As a result, earning this up. For those who have been to Washington County, you can recognize - and know it is a real Tale.
Wausau, it turned out, had some pretty strong possum politicians over the early '80s. Listed here are certain things they accomplished:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led to the making during the monument together Condition Freeway 77 in Wausau.

They even bought The us Congress to advertise the possum. Congress joined the enjoyable by delivering the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have an area to assistance its annual Fun Working day and Possum Pageant. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, amongst other things, the Competition draws in Many of us Each and every and every year, and In addition they come across it irresistible.
Day trip for the couple of educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum is identical lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use 7 letters when six will do?) It is a smallish marsupial that life in trees and shows its hideous overall body only during the night. This is exactly why, whenever you find yourself inside the proper location in Florida, it is possible to listen to possum hunters' canines baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so It'll be not so hard to capture (or shoot) one.
An inscription for that monument all through Wausau cites the possum's function in giving 'both fur and foods' in the course of the entire hundreds of years. It goes on say: 'Their existence right here has furnished an origin of nutritious and flavorful foodstuff in ordinary instances and possesses been an essential aid to human survival read more in the course of moments of distress and critical need.'
Chuckle if you like. The individuals of Wausau will snicker along with you - though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.