There is a spend Florida that crafted a twelve-foot-large monument in the middle of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any person may well love to do that?
Well, first off, heroes take effort and time to come back by in just this set set up Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, house of under 500 folks in the heart of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero to put it mildly? No person else places the possum using a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, again in 1982, Wausau received fed up with becoming neglected Together with the Florida lists of fun, fairs and festivals. Each and every commit Florida wishes a festival. Rather than a single commit Florida contains a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you have not absent to Washington County, you almost certainly will Feel I am Consequently, creating this up. If you have attended Washington County, you are going to comprehend - and know This can be the true story.
Wausau, it proved, had some really powerful possum politicians throughout the early '80s. Listed here are a pair of factors they completed:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the extremely 1st Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led for the setting up With all the monument along State Freeway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even got The us Congress to advertise the possum. Congress joined the enjoyable by the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau may need a place to guidance its yearly Exciting Working day and Possum Pageant. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, between other points, the festival draws in 1000s of people today per year, and so they like it.
Time out for any several educating of Northerners in this article. The South's possum is identical lowly animal you contact opossum, (Why use 7 letters when six will complete?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and exhibits its unpleasant physique only at night. This is why, when you find yourself within right position in Florida, you are able to hear possum hunters' puppies baying and barking. Treed by canine, the possum 'freezes', so Will probably be straightforward adequate seize (or shoot) just one.
An inscription for the monument all through Wausau cites the possum's function in furnishing 'equally fur and food' throughout the centuries. It goes on to say: 'Their presence listed here click here has provided a resource of nutritious and flavorful foodstuff in normal instances and possesses been an essential aid to human survival when in distress and critical need.'
Snicker If you'd like. The men and women of Wausau will chuckle along with you - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.