There is a dedicate Florida that designed a twelve-foot-higher monument for the duration of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any person want to do that?
Nicely, to start with, heroes are tough to study On this dedicate Florida - the Panhandle funds of scotland - Wausau, home of much less than five hundred folks in the guts of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero understandably? No person else puts the possum by using a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, back 1982, Wausau acquired fed up with currently being left out of the Florida lists of exciting, fairs and festivals. Every single put in Florida wishes a festival. And not 1 dedicate Florida features a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you have not frequented Washington County, you almost certainly will Consider I am producing this up. For those who have long gone to Washington County, you will have an understanding of - and know this is the accurate story.
Wausau, it proved, experienced some really potent possum politicians while in the early '80s. Allow me to share certain things they accomplished:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the extremely initial Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led towards the developing of the monument along Condition Freeway 77 in Wausau.

They check here even obtained the United States Congress to sector the possum. Congress joined the enjoyable by way of providing the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau may have a place to help keep its yearly Exciting Day and Possum Festival. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, among other issues, the festival appeals to A lot of people each and every year, and Additionally they like it.
Time out For several educating of Northerners below. The South's possum could be the equivalent lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will probably do?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and shows its ugly physique only in the evening. This is exactly why, Should you be within suitable dedicate Florida, you could hear possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by canine, the possum 'freezes', so it's not so tough to lure (or shoot) 1.
An inscription on the monument in the center of Wausau cites the possum's position in supplying 'both fur and food items' in the full hundreds of years. It goes onto say: 'Their existence in this article has provided an origin of nutritious and flavorful foods in usual times and it's got been a vital support to human survival much more distress and significant require.'
Snicker if you prefer. The people today of Wausau will snicker along with you - though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.