There's a devote Florida that built a twelve-foot-substantial monument in the middle of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anybody want to perform that?
Nicely, to start, heroes choose effort and time to study with this location in Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, home of less than five hundred persons in the middle of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero as you would assume? Nobody else places the possum to the pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, back again in 1982, Wausau bought Weary of staying ignored from the Florida lists of entertaining, fairs and festivals. Every single place in position Florida needs a Competition. And never a single devote Florida features a Possum Competition. Why not Wausau?
If you have hardly ever attended Washington County, you probably will Assume I am So, producing this up. In case you have gone to Washington County, you can comprehend - and know that is a accurate story.
Wausau, it proved, experienced some fairly effective possum politicians in early '80s. Listed below are two factors they achieved:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led on the constructing from your monument alongside Point out Freeway 77 in Wausau.

They even obtained the United States Congress to advertise the possum. Congress joined the enjoyment by means of furnishing the funds for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could have a location to carry its yearly Enjoyable Working day and Possum Competition. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, between other matters, the Competition draws in lots of folks each and on a yearly basis, in addition they come across it irresistible.
Day out for many educating of Northerners in this article. The South's possum is comparable lowly animal you click here connect with opossum, (Why use 7 letters when six will complete?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and demonstrates its ugly human body only at night. That is why, if you find yourself throughout the proper devote Florida, you'll be able to listen to possum hunters' canine baying and barking. Treed by puppies, the possum 'freezes', so It truly is not tricky to entice (or shoot) a single.
An inscription throughout the monument for the duration of Wausau cites the possum's job in supplying 'equally fur and food stuff' in the entire generations. It goes on say: 'Their presence here has provided an origin of nutritious and flavorful foodstuff in standard instances and possesses been a crucial assist to human survival much more distress and significant require.'
Chortle if you're keen on. The individuals of Wausau will laugh together - while downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.