There's a area in Florida that crafted a twelve-foot-superior monument in the heart of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anybody need to do that?
Very well, to start, heroes choose time and effort to investigation During this spot in Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, property of fewer than five hundred people in the midst of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero to say the minimum? No one else places the possum on the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, back again in 1982, Wausau got Unwell and tired of currently being ignored with the Florida lists of entertaining, fairs and festivals. Every single devote Florida requires a Competition. Instead of one location in Florida carries a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you have not frequented Washington County, you probably will Imagine I'm causeing this being up. When you've got attended Washington County, you can realize - and know it is a real Tale.
Wausau, it turned out, had some very powerful possum politicians noisy . '80s. Here i will discuss several factors they completed:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led to your making With all the monument alongside Point out Highway 77 in Wausau.
They even got The usa Congress to advertise the possum. Congress joined the entertaining by the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might need a location to guidance its once-a-year Enjoyment Working day and Possum Pageant. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, amid other points, the Pageant draws in a lot of men and women Each individual and on a yearly basis, additionally they adore it.
Outing for many educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum is equivalent lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use seven letters when six can do?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and displays its unappealing physique only at nighttime. This is exactly why, whenever you find yourself during the suitable dedicate Florida, you could hear possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it really is easy to hook (or shoot) one.
An inscription to the monument in the midst of Wausau cites the possum's function in delivering 'both of those fur and meals' all over the centuries. It goes on to say: 'Their existence listed here has presented a source of nutritious and flavorful food stuff in ordinary situations and has been a significant support to human survival considerably more distress and critical will need.'
Laugh if you like. The persons of Wausau will laugh here along with you - while downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.