An area in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum

There's a devote Florida that designed a 12-foot-superior monument in the midst of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone desire to accomplish that?
Properly, to start with off, heroes consider time and effort to uncover During this spend Florida - the Panhandle cash of scotland - Wausau, household of less than five hundred people in the guts of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero To place it mildly? No one else puts the possum on a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, back 1982, Wausau obtained fed up with getting ignored in the Florida lists of entertaining, fairs and festivals. Each and every commit Florida requires a Competition. And never just one place set up Florida includes a Possum Festival. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have not attended Washington County, you most likely will Consider I'm making this up. In case you have visited Washington County, you can fully grasp - and know it is a correct Tale.
Wausau, it proved, had some very effective possum politicians within the early '80s. Listed below are a few items they completed:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the initial Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led to the developing Using the monument along Point out Highway 77 in Wausau.

They even received the United States Congress in marketing the possum. Congress joined the enjoyable by supplying the funds for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a place to maintain its once-a-year Entertaining Day and Possum Festival. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, between other matters, the Competition appeals to A large number of persons yearly, and they also obtain it irresistible.
Day trip for your number of educating of Northerners in this article. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you contact opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will almost certainly do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and exhibits its unappealing physique only during the night. That is why, when you are Within the right commit Florida, you'll be able to listen to possum hunters' canines baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so It'll be not so tricky to hook (or shoot) a person.
An inscription about the monument in the middle of Wausau cites the possum's position in giving 'both of those fur and food' through the entire generations. It goes on say: 'Their presence below has furnished a source of nutritious and flavorful foods in regular situations and possesses been a very important support to human survival considerably more distress and important require.'
Giggle If you prefer. The folks of Wausau will giggle together with you - when check here downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.