There is a set in position Florida that crafted a 12-foot-substantial monument in the middle of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone may like to do that?
Properly, to start with, heroes just take effort and time to exploration With this location in Florida - the Panhandle funds of scotland - Wausau, home of fewer than 500 persons in the center of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an not likely hero as you'd hope? Nobody else puts the possum around the pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Next, again in 1982, Wausau acquired Weary of remaining ignored with the Florida lists of fun, fairs and festivals. Each place in position Florida desires a festival. And not just one spend Florida features a Possum Competition. Why not Wausau?
If you have not gone to Washington County, you most likely will Feel I am generating this up. When you've got been to Washington County, you can comprehend - and know this is the correct story.
Wausau, it ended up, experienced some fairly strong possum politicians during the early '80s. Here i will discuss a set of matters they accomplished:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the really very first Saturday in August as Possum check here Working day in Florida. That led for the creating from the monument along Condition Freeway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even acquired America Congress to market the possum. Congress joined the pleasurable by the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have an area to maintain its annual Entertaining Day and Possum Festival. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, among the other things, the Competition draws in many people every year, and so that they locate it irresistible.
Time out for many educating of Northerners below. The South's possum is comparable lowly animal you phone opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and demonstrates its unpleasant system only during the night. That is why, if you find yourself In the suitable place in place Florida, you are able to listen to possum hunters' puppies baying and barking. Treed by canines, the possum 'freezes', so It really is not difficult to trap (or shoot) one.
An inscription across the monument through Wausau cites the possum's role in giving 'both fur and meals' in the entire hundreds of years. It goes to say: 'Their existence in this article has provided a source of nutritious and flavorful foods in typical instances and includes been an important help to human survival all through moments of distress and important need to have.'
Laugh if you love. The men and women of Wausau will snicker alongside - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.