There is a commit Florida that built a twelve-foot-high monument in the middle of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any one should do that?
Properly, to start with, heroes are complicated to come by using this dedicate Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, residence of a lot less than 500 persons in the middle of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero to mention the the very least? No one else puts the possum around the pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, again 1982, Wausau acquired Uninterested in staying overlooked Along with the Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Just about every put set up Florida requires a festival. Rather than one particular place in Florida features a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you have not long gone to Washington County, you most likely will think I am making this up. If you have visited Washington County, you'll recognize - and know This may be a accurate story.
Wausau, it ended up, experienced some fairly effective possum politicians throughout the early '80s. Here are two matters they accomplished:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the initial Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led to your setting up of the monument alongside Point out Freeway seventy seven in Wausau.

They even acquired The usa Congress to market the possum. Congress joined the entertaining by providing the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might need an area to aid its once-a-year Enjoyable Day and Possum Competition. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, among the other items, the festival appeals to A huge number of men and women Each and every and every year, and so that they discover it irresistible.
Trip for a lot of educating of Northerners below. The South's possum is identical lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use seven letters when six can perform?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and exhibits its unappealing entire body only during the night. That is why, once you find yourself throughout the right devote Florida, you can hear possum hunters' puppies baying and barking. Treed by puppies, the possum 'freezes', so it can be not so hard to entice (or shoot) one.
An inscription about the monument in the heart of Wausau cites the possum's function in supplying 'each fur and meals' throughout the generations. It goes on to say: 'Their presence listed here has supplied an origin of nutritious and flavorful food items in typical periods and it has been a vital help to human survival during read more occasions of distress and significant will need.'
Snicker if you love. The people of Wausau will laugh together - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.