There's a make investments Florida that crafted a twelve-foot-large monument throughout town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any individual desire to do that?
Very well, first off, heroes are tough to return by on this spend Florida - the Panhandle capital of scotland - Wausau, property of fewer than 500 people in the center of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero as you would probably be expecting? No one else places the possum over a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, back again 1982, Wausau bought Fed up with currently being left out Using the Florida lists of fun, fairs and festivals. Just about every spot in Florida demands a Competition. And not 1 set in position Florida contains a Possum Festival. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have not absent to Washington County, you most likely will Assume I'm causeing this being up. When you've got gone to Washington County, you are going to realize - and know This can be the correct Tale.
Wausau, it turned out, had some very effective possum politicians in early '80s. Allow me to share some things they completed:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led to your setting up in the monument together Condition Highway seventy seven in Wausau.

They even obtained The us Congress in advertising and marketing the possum. Congress joined the entertaining by offering the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a region to hold its yearly Fun Working day and Possum Festival. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, amongst other matters, the Competition appeals to lots of folks on a yearly basis, plus they love it.
Trip for loads of educating of Northerners listed here. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use seven letters when 6 will probably do?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and shows its ugly overall body only at nighttime. This is why, while you are inside the ideal commit Florida, you are able to listen to possum hunters' puppies baying and barking. Treed by canines, the possum 'freezes', so It is really not so tough to catch (or shoot) 1.
An inscription about the monument in the midst of Wausau cites the possum's purpose in furnishing 'equally fur and foodstuff' through the whole generations. It goes onto say: 'Their presence here has furnished an origin website of nutritious and flavorful foodstuff in typical occasions and it has been an important help to human survival in situations of distress and significant have to have.'
Laugh if you like. The folks of Wausau will giggle alongside - even though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.