There's a place in place Florida that built a 12-foot-superior monument in the center of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anybody desire to perform that?
Very well, initial off, heroes just take effort and time to analysis On this devote Florida - the Panhandle metropolis of Wausau, household of less than five hundred individuals in the middle of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero To place it mildly? No one else puts the possum over the pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Next, in 1982, Wausau received Ill and Weary of getting ignored in the Florida lists of fun, fairs and festivals. Each and every place set up Florida needs a festival. Rather than just one devote Florida carries a Possum Competition. Why don't you Wausau?
If you've got never visited Washington County, you almost certainly will Consider I'm Consequently, creating this up. For those who have visited Washington County, you are going to recognize - and know This may be a legitimate Tale.
Wausau, it ended up, experienced some fairly powerful possum politicians in the course of the website early '80s. Listed here are some things they attained:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the first Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led to your creating Together with the monument alongside Condition Highway 77 in Wausau.

They even received The usa Congress to market the possum. Congress joined the fun by the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could have a spot to hold its yearly Fun Working day and Possum Competition. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, among other items, the Pageant draws in many people annually, plus they love it.
Day out for many educating of Northerners here. The South's possum is identical lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and displays its unappealing entire body only in the evening. This is why, If you're throughout the right put in Florida, you'll be able to hear possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by puppies, the possum 'freezes', so It really is uncomplicated to lure (or shoot) one.
An inscription for your monument in the middle of Wausau cites the possum's purpose in delivering 'each fur and food stuff' with the hundreds of years. It goes onto say: 'Their existence here has supplied a resource of nutritious and flavorful food in normal occasions and possesses been a significant support to human survival considerably more distress and important need.'
Chuckle if you like. The persons of Wausau will chortle along with you - whilst downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.