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

There's a area in Florida that built a 12-foot-significant monument in the heart of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would everyone wish to perform that?
Effectively, to start out, heroes are difficult to research using this type of position in Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, house of fewer than 500 people in the middle of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero as you'll be expecting? Nobody else puts the possum around the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, in 1982, Wausau obtained fed up with getting disregarded in the Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Every place in Florida needs a festival. Rather than just one spend Florida incorporates a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you have not been to Washington County, you almost certainly will Imagine I'm thus, generating this up. In case you have attended Washington County, you are going to have an understanding of - and know this can be a true Tale.
Wausau, it turned out, experienced some very powerful possum politicians noisy . '80s. Here i will discuss a set of points they accomplished:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the very to start with Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led to the setting up while in the monument along Condition Freeway seventy seven in Wausau.

They even received America Congress to market the possum. Congress joined the exciting by providing the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau can have a place to hold its annual Entertaining Day and Possum Competition. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, among the other things, the Competition draws in Many of us each year, and Additionally they love it.
Outing to get a several educating of Northerners in this article. The South's possum is the same lowly animal you get in touch with opossum, (Why use 7 letters when six will almost certainly do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees here and displays its ugly physique only at nighttime. This is exactly why, if you find yourself inside the suitable devote Florida, you may hear possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by canine, the possum 'freezes', so it's easy to hook (or shoot) a single.
An inscription over the monument in the middle of Wausau cites the possum's purpose in providing 'the two fur and food items' throughout the hundreds of years. It goes on to say: 'Their existence in this article has delivered a supply of nutritious and flavorful meals in regular occasions and it has been an essential assist to human survival in situations of distress and critical will need.'
Chuckle if you prefer. The people of Wausau will chuckle with you - whilst downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.