There is a dedicate Florida that constructed a twelve-foot-significant monument in the center of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone choose to do that?
Nicely, to start, heroes are difficult to obtain In this particular spend Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, dwelling of under five hundred folks in the heart of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero as you'll hope? Nobody else places the possum by using a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, again in 1982, Wausau obtained Unwell and tired of being ignored in the Florida lists of entertaining, fairs and festivals. Every single spot in Florida needs a festival. Rather than a single invest Florida carries a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you have hardly ever visited Washington County, you probably will Assume I am developing this up. When you've got attended Washington County, you will recognize - and know This is actually the correct story.
Wausau, it proved, experienced some rather strong possum politicians while in the early '80s. Here's a handful of factors they completed:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the extremely first Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led on the developing Using the monument along Condition Freeway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even received The usa Congress to advertise the possum. Congress joined the pleasurable by offering the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could click here possibly have a location to help keep its yearly Exciting Day and Possum Festival. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, among the other things, the Pageant attracts plenty of folks each year, in addition they like it.
Trip for some educating of Northerners here. The South's possum may be the equivalent lowly animal you contact opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will execute?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and demonstrates its unsightly human body only at night. That's why, In case you are in the proper put in Florida, you are able to listen to possum hunters' canine baying and barking. Treed by canine, the possum 'freezes', so Will probably be not so tough to trap (or shoot) 1.
An inscription on the monument in the guts of Wausau cites the possum's part in providing 'equally fur and food' with the overall hundreds of years. It goes on to say: 'Their presence below has provided a useful resource of nutritious and flavorful meals in typical periods and it's been an important support to human survival way more distress and important will need.'
Giggle when you'd prefer. The persons of Wausau will giggle along with you - although downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.