There's a devote Florida that constructed a twelve-foot-substantial monument in the center of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anybody could love to do that?
Well, to start out, heroes are difficult to obtain in this commit Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, household of under 500 persons all through Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an not likely hero to put it mildly? Nobody else places the possum on the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, back in 1982, Wausau bought Unwell and worn out with currently being left out Together with the Florida lists of entertaining, fairs and festivals. Each commit Florida needs a Pageant. Rather than one dedicate Florida carries a Possum Festival. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have not attended Washington County, you probably will Consider I'm generating this up. When you have been to Washington County, you'll comprehend - and know it is a legitimate story.
Wausau, it turned out, had some pretty impressive possum politicians throughout the early '80s. Listed here are two matters they accomplished:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the very very first Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led to your building within the monument along Point out Highway 77 in Wausau.
They even received the United States Congress to publicize the possum. Congress joined the enjoyable through furnishing the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a place to help keep its once-a-year Pleasurable Day and Possum Pageant. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, amid other things, the Pageant appeals to Lots of people Just about every and each year, moreover they adore it.
Day trip to get a couple educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum would be the similar lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use seven letters when 6 will carry out?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and displays its unpleasant entire body only at nighttime. That's why, when you are inside ideal place set up Florida, you are able to hear possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by puppies, the possum 'freezes', so it's not challenging to catch (or shoot) just one.
An inscription on the monument in the guts of Wausau cites the possum's job in giving 'both of those fur and food items' through the whole hundreds of years. It goes to say: 'Their presence in here this article has presented a resource of nutritious and flavorful food stuff in standard occasions and it's got been an essential guide to human survival all through occasions of distress and important require.'
Chuckle in the event you'd like. The people today of Wausau will snicker coupled with you - although downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.