There is a put in place Florida that built a 12-foot-superior monument in the center of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any individual could love to do that?
Very well, to start with, heroes choose effort and time to come back by in just this dedicate Florida - the Panhandle metropolis of Wausau, house of beneath five hundred folks in the midst of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero as you would be expecting? Nobody else puts the possum on the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, in 1982, Wausau bought fed up with currently being ignored with the Florida lists of enjoyable, fairs and festivals. Every single dedicate Florida desires a Competition. Rather than one particular put set up Florida contains a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you've got under no circumstances been to Washington County, you probably will think I'm making this up. In case you have attended Washington County, you are going to have an understanding of - and know This is a true Tale.
Wausau, it turned out, experienced some really potent possum politicians noisy . '80s. Listed here are a pair of things they completed:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the primary Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led into the setting up within the monument together Point out Highway 77 in Wausau.
They even bought The us Congress to advertise the possum. Congress joined the enjoyable by the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have an area to maintain its annual Exciting Day and Possum Competition. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, between read more other things, the Competition appeals to Many of us yearly, and so that they find it irresistible.
Time out for just a number of educating of Northerners below. The South's possum is the identical lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will almost certainly do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and displays its unappealing physique only in the evening. This is exactly why, In case you are inside of suitable position in Florida, you may hear possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by canine, the possum 'freezes', for that reason it really is not so challenging to hook (or shoot) 1.
An inscription to the monument in the course of Wausau cites the possum's position in furnishing 'the two fur and meals' through the hundreds of years. It goes onto say: 'Their existence below has delivered a supply of nutritious and flavorful meals in regular times and it has been A necessary help to human survival when in distress and demanding need.'
Giggle If you need. The people of Wausau will giggle along with you - although downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.