There is a place in position Florida that built a twelve-foot-higher monument for the duration of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone desire to accomplish that?
Nicely, first off, heroes are hard to come by in this place in position Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, house of a lot less than five hundred people in the midst of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero understandably? No person else puts the possum about the pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Next, past 1982, Wausau bought fed up with getting ignored Using the Florida lists of enjoyment, fairs and festivals. Every single place in place Florida wants a festival. Instead of a single dedicate Florida contains a Possum Pageant. Why not Wausau?
If you have not attended Washington County, you most likely will Consider I'm creating this up. When you've got been to Washington County, you can expect to fully grasp - and know This may be a correct story.
Wausau, it turned out, had some very strong possum politicians within the early '80s. Allow me to share a handful of items they attained:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the pretty to start with Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led to your making While using the monument along Point out Highway 77 in Wausau.
They even got The usa Congress to industry the possum. Congress joined the entertaining as a result of supplying the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a spot to help keep its yearly Enjoyment Day and Possum Festival. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, amongst other items, the festival appeals to here 1000s of persons each and annually, and they also adore it.
Time out For a lot of educating of Northerners listed here. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you connect with opossum, (Why use seven letters when 6 will conduct?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and displays its hideous overall body only at night. That's why, if you are inside of suitable spend Florida, it is possible to listen to possum hunters' canines baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', for that reason it's not so difficult to capture (or shoot) a person.
An inscription round the monument in the guts of Wausau cites the possum's role in providing 'both fur and meals' with the centuries. It goes on say: 'Their existence listed here has supplied a resource of nutritious and flavorful foodstuff in typical situations and incorporates been a vital help to human survival when in distress and significant have to have.'
Laugh should you'd choose. The people today of Wausau will snicker alongside - whilst downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.