There is a commit Florida that developed a twelve-foot-superior monument in the center of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone desire to perform that?
Nicely, to start with, heroes just take effort and time to come back by on this place in Florida - the Panhandle cash of scotland- Wausau, house of much less than five hundred individuals in the guts of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero to put it mildly? No person else places the possum on the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, back 1982, Wausau acquired fed up with becoming disregarded Together with the Florida lists of enjoyment, fairs and festivals. Every single put in Florida wants a festival. Instead of one place in Florida includes a Possum Competition. Why not Wausau?
If you haven't attended Washington County, you most likely will Feel I am causeing this to get up. When you've got been to Washington County, you may comprehend - and know This may be a true story.
Wausau, it wound up, experienced some fairly highly effective possum politicians over the early '80s. Listed here are certain things they accomplished:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the primary Saturday in August as Possum Working Possum Catcher Melbourne day in Florida. That led on the constructing with the monument together Condition Freeway 77 in Wausau.

They even got The usa Congress to promote the possum. Congress joined the exciting by supplying the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a location to hold its once-a-year Enjoyable Day and Possum Festival. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, between other matters, the festival appeals to lots of people on a yearly basis, and they also come across it irresistible.
Outing for any couple of educating of Northerners listed here. The South's possum is identical lowly animal you get in touch with opossum, (Why use 7 letters when six will do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and demonstrates its unattractive physique only in the evening. That's why, any time you find yourself in the appropriate place set up Florida, you'll be able to hear possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', therefore it is effortless to trap (or shoot) one.
An inscription throughout the monument for the duration of Wausau cites the possum's function in delivering 'both of those fur and food' in the full hundreds of years. It goes to say: 'Their existence right here has supplied a resource of nutritious and flavorful food in typical periods and possesses been a crucial aid to human survival in the course of periods of distress and critical have to have.'
Chortle If you need. The persons of Wausau will chortle together with you - whilst downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.