An area in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum

There's a put in place Florida that crafted a 12-foot-substantial monument during town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any individual ought to do that?
Perfectly, to start with, heroes acquire effort and time to have on this devote Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, home of beneath 500 folks all through Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero To place it mildly? No one else places the possum over the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, back 1982, Wausau bought sick and tired of getting left out from the Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Each individual area in Florida needs a Pageant. Instead of 1 spend Florida includes a Possum Competition. Why not Wausau?
If you've got hardly ever attended Washington County, you almost certainly will Imagine I'm making this up. When you have been to Washington County, you will have an understanding of - and know this is the accurate Tale.
Wausau, it ended up, experienced some fairly potent possum politicians in the course of the early '80s. Here's a handful of issues they completed:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led into the making through the monument along State Highway 77 in Wausau.

They even acquired America Congress in advertising and marketing the possum. Congress joined the enjoyable by delivering the funds for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau can have a location to keep its once-a-year Fun Working day and Possum Pageant. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, among other items, the Competition appeals to plenty of people Every and annually, plus they find it irresistible.
Trip For numerous educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you phone opossum, (Why use seven letters read more when six will do?) It is a smallish marsupial that life in trees and displays its unappealing system only at night. That is why, when you find yourself within appropriate position in Florida, you could listen to possum hunters' canines baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so It truly is not challenging to capture (or shoot) just one.
An inscription around the monument in the course of Wausau cites the possum's part in offering 'equally fur and foodstuff' with the complete centuries. It goes on say: 'Their existence here has presented an origin of nutritious and flavorful foods in typical times and possesses been a vital help to human survival considerably more distress and critical want.'
Snicker if you're keen on. The people today of Wausau will snicker along - whilst downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.