There's a devote Florida that constructed a 12-foot-significant monument throughout town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any one should do that?
Effectively, to begin, heroes just take time and effort to investigate in this spend Florida - the Panhandle money of scotland- Wausau, home of beneath 500 folks through Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero to put it mildly? No person else puts the possum with a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, again in 1982, Wausau received Unwell and drained with currently being disregarded Using the Florida lists of fun, fairs and festivals. Each and every devote Florida wishes a festival. And not one particular dedicate Florida incorporates a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you have not been to Washington County, you most likely will Believe I am Hence, generating this up. When you have frequented Washington County, you can expect to comprehend - and know this can be a genuine story.
Wausau, it ended up, experienced some quite effective possum politicians noisy . '80s. Listed below are a couple of points they accomplished:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the primary Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led for the constructing from your monument alongside Condition Highway 77 in Wausau.

They even acquired The usa Congress in marketing the possum. Congress joined the enjoyable by providing the funds for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a place to carry its yearly Entertaining Working day and Possum Festival. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, among the other matters, the Competition attracts A huge number of people each year, and so they adore it.
Day trip for plenty of educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum is identical lowly animal you contact opossum, (Why use 7 more info letters when six will almost certainly do?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and reveals its unattractive physique only at night. This is exactly why, if you are Within the ideal spot in Florida, you can listen to possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by canine, the possum 'freezes', consequently it's not so difficult to lure (or shoot) one particular.
An inscription regarding the monument in the center of Wausau cites the possum's role in furnishing 'equally fur and meals' through the centuries. It goes on to say: 'Their existence in this article has offered a resource of nutritious and flavorful foods in usual occasions and has been an essential support to human survival when in distress and demanding need to have.'
Chortle if you'd prefer. The people today of Wausau will snicker along - whilst downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.