There's a devote Florida that developed a twelve-foot-superior monument during town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any one ought to do that?
Nicely, to start with off, heroes are difficult to come back by On this commit Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, home of a lot less than five hundred people in the guts of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero understandably? Nobody else places the possum around the pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Next, in 1982, Wausau obtained Ill and drained with remaining left out from the Florida lists of enjoyable, fairs and festivals. Every place in position Florida needs a Competition. And never a person commit Florida carries a Possum Competition. Why not Wausau?
If you have never absent to Washington County, you almost certainly will Imagine I am generating this up. When you've got gone to Washington County, you are going to recognize - and know It's really a genuine story.
Wausau, it wound up, experienced some really powerful possum politicians in early '80s. Listed below are two or three factors they accomplished:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the initial Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led to your developing Along with the monument along Point out Highway 77 in Wausau.

They even received The usa Congress in advertising and marketing the possum. Congress joined the enjoyable by delivering the funds for Possum removal Glen iris Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could have a location to maintain its once-a-year Entertaining Working day and Possum Pageant. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, among other things, the festival attracts a lot of individuals each and every year, and so they like it.
Day trip For lots of educating of Northerners listed here. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you get in touch with opossum, (Why use seven letters when 6 will do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and demonstrates its ugly human body only in the evening. That's why, when you end up inside the suitable commit Florida, you could hear possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by canines, the possum 'freezes', so It is really uncomplicated to entice (or shoot) one particular.
An inscription around the monument throughout Wausau cites the possum's position in supplying 'the two fur and food stuff' in the generations. It goes on say: 'Their existence in this article has presented a resource of nutritious and flavorful foodstuff in usual situations and possesses been An important aid to human survival in moments of distress and demanding require.'
Laugh If you need. The people today of Wausau will laugh together with you - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.