There's a dedicate Florida that designed a twelve-foot-higher monument in the middle of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any individual choose to do that?
Properly, to start out, heroes just take effort and time to locate using this type of commit Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, house of much less than five hundred individuals during Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero to state the least? Nobody else puts the possum in excess of a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, final 1982, Wausau acquired fed up with remaining omitted While using the Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Each and every place in position Florida demands a Pageant. Instead of a person spend Florida carries a Possum Competition. Why don't you Wausau?
If you've never ever frequented Washington County, you probably will Consider I am developing this up. Should you have attended Washington County, you may comprehend - and know this is a legitimate story.
Wausau, it turned out, had some fairly potent possum politicians in early '80s. Here's a set of points they completed:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August click here as Possum Working day in Florida. That led on the setting up of your monument along State Freeway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even obtained The us Congress to market the possum. Congress joined the fun by supplying the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might need a site to hold its once-a-year Enjoyable Day and Possum Pageant. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, between other issues, the Competition appeals to loads of people yearly, and so that they locate it irresistible.
Day out for lots of educating of Northerners here. The South's possum will be the equivalent lowly animal you contact opossum, (Why use 7 letters when six will complete?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and exhibits its unsightly system only in the evening. That is why, once you end up inside of correct make investments Florida, you may listen to possum hunters' canines baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it really is not so tough to entice (or shoot) 1.
An inscription within the monument in the course of Wausau cites the possum's function in offering 'equally fur and food items' through the centuries. It goes on say: 'Their existence below has supplied an origin of nutritious and flavorful food items in usual periods and contains been An important assist to human survival way more distress and important will need.'
Giggle when you'd choose. The men and women of Wausau will chuckle as well as you - though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.