There's a devote Florida that designed a twelve-foot-substantial monument in the middle of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anybody may possibly love to do that?
Effectively, to get started with, heroes are tough to discover inside of this make investments Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, house of less than 500 folks in the center of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero understandably? No one else places the possum having a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, last 1982, Wausau acquired Unwell and tired with currently being ignored from the Florida lists of enjoyment, fairs and festivals. Each and every make investments Florida needs a festival. Instead of one commit Florida contains a Possum Competition. Why not Wausau?
If you have not absent to Washington County, you almost certainly will Consider I am creating this up. When you have frequented Washington County, you will have an understanding of - and know This may be a genuine Tale.
Wausau, it proved, experienced some really potent possum politicians during the early '80s. Listed here are two matters they completed:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led for the creating with the monument together State Freeway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even obtained The us Congress to market the possum. Congress joined the entertaining through delivering the funds for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a area to help its yearly Enjoyment Working day and Possum Competition. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, among the other issues, the festival attracts A huge number of persons Every and each year, and they adore it.
Outing for many check here educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum is identical lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will execute?) It is a smallish marsupial that life in trees and shows its unattractive physique only in the evening. This is exactly why, if you're within the ideal invest Florida, you may hear possum hunters' canines baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it will be not difficult to catch (or shoot) just one.
An inscription around the monument in the course of Wausau cites the possum's purpose in providing 'the two fur and foodstuff' throughout the complete hundreds of years. It goes on say: 'Their existence in this article has supplied an origin of nutritious and flavorful food in normal times and possesses been a vital support to human survival way more distress and significant want.'
Snicker if you like. The people today of Wausau will chuckle along - though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.