There is a location in Florida that designed a twelve-foot-substantial monument in the middle of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any individual wish to do that?
Effectively, to start with, heroes are challenging to return by During this put in Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, household of lower than 500 folks in the middle of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero as you'll anticipate? No person else places the possum on a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Next, back in 1982, Wausau obtained fed up with getting disregarded Using the Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Every make investments Florida desires a Competition. And never a person set set up Florida provides a Possum Festival. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have not frequented Washington County, you most likely will Feel I am creating this up. In case you have absent to Washington County, you can realize - and know Here is the true story.
Wausau, it proved, had some quite highly effective possum politicians in early '80s. Allow me to share a set of points they achieved:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led to your building with the monument together Point out Highway 77 in Wausau.
They even acquired the United States Congress to marketplace the possum. Congress joined the pleasurable by the funds for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau would have a location to hold its annual Pleasurable Day and Possum Festival. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, amongst other issues, the festival appeals to Lots of people each and each and every year, and In addition they website adore it.
Day out for lots of educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum is definitely the identical lowly animal you connect with opossum, (Why use seven letters when 6 can perform?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and displays its unpleasant entire body only at nighttime. This is exactly why, For anyone who is Within the appropriate put in Florida, you can hear possum hunters' canines baying and barking. Treed by puppies, the possum 'freezes', so it can be simple sufficient to lure (or shoot) 1.
An inscription for that monument throughout Wausau cites the possum's job in furnishing 'both equally fur and food items' in the generations. It goes on to say: 'Their existence here has presented a resource of nutritious and flavorful food stuff in usual occasions and it has been an essential help to human survival when in distress and demanding want.'
Chuckle if you like. The people today of Wausau will snicker with you - even though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.