A Place in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum

There is a commit Florida that designed a twelve-foot-substantial monument in the midst of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would everyone want to do that?
Nicely, to start out, heroes are challenging to receive During this spend Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, house of much less than 500 folks throughout Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero as you'd probably be expecting? No one else puts the possum over a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, past 1982, Wausau obtained fed up with getting ignored While using the Florida lists of enjoyment, fairs and festivals. Each set set up Florida wants a Competition. And not a single commit Florida contains a Possum Competition. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have never attended Washington County, you almost certainly will Believe I'm causeing this for being up. For those who have long gone to Washington County, you are going to have an understanding of - and know This can be the real story.
Wausau, it proved, experienced some quite effective possum politicians inside the early '80s. Here i will discuss two factors they accomplished:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the incredibly very first Saturday in August as more info Possum Day in Florida. That led towards the constructing with the monument along Condition Freeway seventy seven in Wausau.

They even got The usa Congress to current market the possum. Congress joined the fun by way of offering the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau may have a place to guidance its once-a-year Enjoyable Day and Possum Festival. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, amid other issues, the festival draws in Many individuals Each and every and annually, and In addition they discover it irresistible.
Trip for many educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum is the equivalent lowly animal you contact opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will execute?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and displays its unpleasant human body only at night. That is why, when you find yourself In the ideal spend Florida, you could hear possum hunters' puppies baying and barking. Treed by canine, the possum 'freezes', hence it is simple enough to catch (or shoot) 1.
An inscription about the monument in the center of Wausau cites the possum's purpose in furnishing 'both fur and foodstuff' in the course of the overall hundreds of years. It goes on say: 'Their presence here has provided a source of nutritious and flavorful foodstuff in typical instances and it's got been a vital guide to human survival for the duration of occasions of distress and important have to have.'
Chortle if you want. The individuals of Wausau will laugh along with you - although downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.