An area in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum

There is a invest Florida that crafted a 12-foot-superior monument in the heart of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would everyone must do that?
Well, to start, heroes are really hard to acquire Within this spend Florida - the Panhandle money of scotland - Wausau, property of less than 500 persons in the course of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an not likely hero understandably? No one else places the possum around a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, again 1982, Wausau bought tired of currently being ignored in the Florida lists of exciting, fairs and festivals. Every single make investments Florida demands a Competition. Instead of a single invest Florida encompasses a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you have not frequented Washington County, you almost certainly will Consider I am causeing this to become up. If you have frequented Washington County, you can expect to recognize - and know This can be the true Tale.
Wausau, it wound up, experienced some pretty potent possum politicians within the early '80s. Listed here are two factors they accomplished:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the quite to start with Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led towards the creating within the monument alongside Condition Highway 77 in Wausau.

They even received America Congress to market the possum. Congress joined the exciting by the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a place to keep its once-a-year Entertaining Day and Possum Festival. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, amongst other issues, the Pageant attracts A more info huge number of folks per year, and so they adore it.
Day out for many educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use seven letters when 6 can perform?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and displays its unpleasant physique only during the night. This is exactly why, when you're inside the correct commit Florida, you'll be able to hear possum hunters' canines baying and barking. Treed by puppies, the possum 'freezes', so It's going to be not tricky to catch (or shoot) one particular.
An inscription within the monument all through Wausau cites the possum's function in providing 'both of those fur and food stuff' from the overall hundreds of years. It goes to say: 'Their existence listed here has delivered a source of nutritious and flavorful food stuff in regular periods and has been an important assist to human survival all through instances of distress and important have to have.'
Laugh if you're keen on. The people today of Wausau will snicker along with you - whilst downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.