A Place in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum

There is a put in Florida that constructed a twelve-foot-substantial monument in the heart of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any individual would like to do that?
Perfectly, to begin with, heroes are complicated to receive on this area in Florida - the Panhandle funds of scotland - Wausau, household of below 500 folks in the course of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero as you'd count on? No one else puts the possum around a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, again 1982, Wausau obtained Sick and tired of currently being overlooked with the Florida lists of exciting, fairs and festivals. Each individual put in place Florida demands a festival. And not one commit Florida features a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you've got by no means been to Washington County, you almost certainly will think I'm causeing this being up. Should you have attended Washington County, you will fully grasp - and know it is a true Tale.
Wausau, it turned out, had some rather impressive possum politicians noisy . '80s. Listed here are a couple of issues they attained:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the quite initially Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led on the constructing in the monument together State Highway seventy seven in Wausau.

They even received The us Congress in advertising the possum. Congress joined the enjoyment by providing the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau would've a location to carry its yearly Fun Working day and Possum Competition. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, among the other things, the Competition draws click here in A huge number of people today each and annually, and so that they find it irresistible.
Trip For lots of educating of Northerners in this article. The South's possum may be the equivalent lowly animal you contact opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and shows its hideous body only during the night. This is exactly why, For anyone who is within appropriate put in Florida, it is possible to listen to possum hunters' canines baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it is not difficult to catch (or shoot) one particular.
An inscription around the monument in the middle of Wausau cites the possum's job in delivering 'both of those fur and meals' in the centuries. It goes onto say: 'Their presence here has provided a source of nutritious and flavorful food in regular times and it's got been a crucial support to human survival considerably more distress and significant want.'
Snicker should you'd want. The people today of Wausau will chuckle along with you - even though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.