There's a put in Florida that constructed a twelve-foot-large monument in the middle of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any one would like to accomplish that?
Very well, to begin, heroes acquire effort and time to exploration using this type of location in Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, property of less than five hundred people in the course of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero as you would probably assume? Nobody else places the possum around the pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, in 1982, Wausau got fed up with being overlooked in the Florida lists of enjoyable, fairs and festivals. Each individual position in Florida needs a festival. And not 1 devote Florida includes a Possum Festival. Why don't you Wausau?
If you've under no circumstances attended Washington County, you almost certainly will think I'm Consequently, earning this up. For those who have absent to Washington County, you are going to fully grasp - and know This may be a correct Tale.
Wausau, it proved, experienced some pretty impressive possum politicians in the early '80s. Listed below are two factors they achieved:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led on the building within more info the monument along State Highway seventy seven in Wausau.

They even obtained The usa Congress to promote the possum. Congress joined the fun by offering the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a site to assist its annual Enjoyment Day and Possum Festival. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, amongst other issues, the Pageant attracts Many individuals each and each and every year, plus they discover it irresistible.
Trip for a few educating of Northerners listed here. The South's possum is comparable lowly animal you contact opossum, (Why use 7 letters when six will execute?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and shows its unpleasant overall body only at nighttime. This is why, when you find yourself while in the ideal devote Florida, you can listen to possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it can be easy to hook (or shoot) a person.
An inscription on the monument in the center of Wausau cites the possum's position in supplying 'both equally fur and meals' throughout the hundreds of years. It goes onto say: 'Their presence right here has provided a resource of nutritious and flavorful foodstuff in usual occasions and it's got been An important support to human survival when in distress and significant require.'
Chortle if you want. The individuals of Wausau will giggle as well as you - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.