There is a dedicate Florida that created a 12-foot-substantial monument in the course of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any individual might love to do that?
Very well, to start out, heroes are tricky to discover Within this place in position Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, residence of lower than five hundred individuals in the middle of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero as you'll assume? No one else puts the possum on the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, very last 1982, Wausau bought sick and Weary of currently being left out of your Florida lists of enjoyable, fairs and festivals. Every set in place Florida requires a Competition. And never one particular area in Florida carries a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you haven't attended Washington County, you most likely will think I am building this up. When you've got been to Washington County, you may have an understanding of - and know this is the real Tale.
Wausau, it turned out, had some really powerful possum politicians noisy . '80s. Here are several factors they accomplished:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led to the building from your monument along State Highway 77 in Wausau.
They even bought the United States Congress in selling the check here possum. Congress joined the enjoyment by offering the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau can have a spot to keep its once-a-year Pleasurable Working day and Possum Festival. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, among the other matters, the Competition draws in A lot of people each year, and so they discover it irresistible.
Day trip for many educating of Northerners below. The South's possum is comparable lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use seven letters when 6 will execute?) It is a smallish marsupial that life in trees and shows its unpleasant human body only during the night time. That is why, when you're inside the suitable make investments Florida, it is possible to hear possum hunters' puppies baying and barking. Treed by puppies, the possum 'freezes', so It'll be not challenging to catch (or shoot) 1.
An inscription within the monument in the middle of Wausau cites the possum's job in delivering 'both equally fur and foodstuff' throughout the entire hundreds of years. It goes on say: 'Their presence listed here has provided an origin of nutritious and flavorful food in standard situations and possesses been an important aid to human survival considerably more distress and significant have to have.'
Snicker if you like. The folks of Wausau will giggle together - though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.