There is a spend Florida that crafted a twelve-foot-substantial monument through town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any one may well love to do that?
Effectively, to start with, heroes choose time and effort to study within just this devote Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, property of beneath five hundred folks all through Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero to put it mildly? No one else places the possum about a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Next, back 1982, Wausau got sick and fatigued with remaining overlooked inside the Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Each and every invest Florida wants a festival. Rather than just one area in Florida carries a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you have not frequented Washington County, you almost certainly will Feel I'm producing this up. In case you have long gone to Washington County, you may realize - and know It's a legitimate story.
Wausau, it proved, experienced some rather strong possum politicians within the early '80s. Here are a pair of points they achieved:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led to the setting up from the monument along Point out Freeway 77 in Wausau.

They even obtained The us Congress to advertise the possum. Congress joined the fun by means of giving the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could have a place to hold its annual Enjoyment Working day and Possum Festival. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, between other things, check here the Pageant attracts heaps of people each year, and so that they adore it.
Day trip For lots of educating of Northerners in this article. The South's possum will be the equivalent lowly animal you contact opossum, (Why use seven letters when 6 will probably do?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and reveals its unsightly body only during the night. That's why, when you find yourself inside the ideal commit Florida, it is possible to hear possum hunters' canine baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it will be not tricky to capture (or shoot) one particular.
An inscription around the monument in the center of Wausau cites the possum's position in furnishing 'both fur and foods' with the whole generations. It goes on to say: 'Their existence below has provided a useful resource of nutritious and flavorful food in regular occasions and it has been a big aid to human survival when in distress and demanding have to have.'
Chuckle if you're keen on. The people today of Wausau will giggle as well as you - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.