There's a spend Florida that constructed a 12-foot-large monument in the middle of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any individual could love to do that?
Perfectly, to begin with, heroes are difficult to get on this set in position Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, house of lower than 500 persons for the duration of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero as you'll anticipate? Nobody else places the possum on a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, last 1982, Wausau acquired Unwell and Weary of becoming omitted from your Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Each and every spot in Florida demands a Competition. Instead of one devote Florida carries a Possum Pageant. Why not Wausau?
If you have not been to Washington County, you probably will Imagine I am creating this up. When you've got visited Washington County, you'll have an understanding of - and know This is actually the accurate Tale.
Wausau, it wound up, experienced some really impressive possum politicians within the early '80s. Here are a set of things they attained:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the main Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led on the setting up With all the monument along Point out Highway seventy seven in Wausau.

They even acquired The us Congress to market the possum. Congress joined the pleasurable by the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might need a location to help keep its once-a-year Fun Day and Possum Pageant. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, among the other factors, the Pageant attracts tons of people Just about every and annually, furthermore they adore it.
Day out For numerous educating of Northerners here. The South's possum is definitely the equivalent lowly animal you connect with opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 can perform?) It is a smallish marsupial that life in trees and demonstrates its unattractive body only during the night. That's why, if you're inside the proper commit Florida, you'll be able to listen to possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by puppies, the possum 'freezes', so It is basic enough capture (or shoot) a single.
An inscription about the monument during Wausau cites the possum's position in offering 'each fur and food stuff' through the entire generations. It goes on say: 'Their presence listed here has provided a resource of nutritious here and flavorful foodstuff in ordinary occasions and it's been An important support to human survival in moments of distress and significant need to have.'
Giggle if you like. The people today of Wausau will laugh together with you - though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.