A location in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum

There's a spot in Florida that developed a 12-foot-substantial monument for the duration of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone want to accomplish that?
Nicely, to start, heroes are hard to locate On this set in position Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, residence of under five hundred folks in the course of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an not likely hero as you would count on? No person else places the possum on the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, back again in 1982, Wausau bought Fed up with getting omitted with the Florida lists of fun, fairs and festivals. Each devote Florida wishes a Competition. And never one spend Florida includes a Possum Competition. Why don't you Wausau?
If you've got under no circumstances absent to Washington County, you almost certainly will Believe I'm Hence, producing this up. When you've got visited Washington County, you are going to comprehend - and know It is just a correct Tale.
Wausau, it turned out, had some quite powerful possum politicians in early '80s. Here's two issues they attained:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led to your constructing with the monument together Point out Highway 77 in Wausau.

They even got The usa Congress to advertise the possum. Congress joined the pleasurable by furnishing the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau would have a place to maintain its yearly Pleasurable Day and Possum Pageant. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, among other factors, the festival draws in loads of people each and yearly, and Additionally they find it irresistible.
Outing For most educating of Northerners here. The South's possum could be the equivalent lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use seven letters when 6 will do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and exhibits its ugly human body only at night. That is why, if you're inside the appropriate dedicate Florida, you are able to listen to possum hunters' canines check here baying and barking. Treed by canine, the possum 'freezes', for that reason it is actually very simple enough to lure (or shoot) just one.
An inscription around the monument through Wausau cites the possum's part in offering 'equally fur and foodstuff' with the generations. It goes onto say: 'Their existence here has delivered a useful resource of nutritious and flavorful foodstuff in normal moments and it's been a crucial assist to human survival much more distress and significant will need.'
Snicker if you want. The people of Wausau will laugh together - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.