There is a place in Florida that built a 12-foot-superior monument in the guts of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone want to accomplish that?
Well, to start out, heroes are tricky to investigate with this particular spot in Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, dwelling of fewer than five hundred persons in the course of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero as you'd hope? Nobody else puts the possum on the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, back in 1982, Wausau got Bored with staying omitted during the Florida lists of enjoyable, fairs and festivals. Each individual place in place Florida requires a Competition. And not 1 devote Florida contains a Possum Pageant. Why not Wausau?
If you have never attended Washington County, you probably will Consider I am generating this up. In case you have visited Washington County, you can fully grasp - and know this can be a legitimate story.
Wausau, it wound up, experienced some really powerful possum politicians in early '80s. Allow me to share certain things they completed:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the First Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led on the constructing of the monument alongside State Freeway 77 in Wausau.

They even got the United States Congress to marketplace the possum. Congress joined the pleasurable by delivering the funds for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau can have a location to carry its yearly Fun Day and Possum Festival. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, amid other matters, the festival attracts Lots of people annually, and so that they adore it.
Day trip for just a several educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum would be the equivalent lowly animal you get in touch with opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 is going to do?) It is a smallish marsupial that life in trees and shows its unappealing human body only at night. That is why, When you are within suitable area in Florida, you may listen to possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', thus it is not so tough to hook (or shoot) a single.
An inscription on the monument in the center of Wausau cites the possum's role click here in offering 'both equally fur and food' from the entire centuries. It goes to say: 'Their existence listed here has furnished a resource of nutritious and flavorful meals in regular occasions and it's been an essential assist to human survival a great deal more distress and demanding have to have.'
Laugh if you love. The persons of Wausau will laugh as well as you - while downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.