There's a dedicate Florida that built a 12-foot-significant monument in the course of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any individual need to do that?
Effectively, to get started on, heroes are challenging to get with this particular devote Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, home of much less than five hundred folks all through Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an not likely hero to state the minimum? Nobody else puts the possum over a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, previous 1982, Wausau got tired of getting ignored through the Florida lists of exciting, fairs and festivals. Each put in place Florida wishes a festival. And never 1 location in Florida features a Possum Festival. Why don't you Wausau?
If you haven't attended Washington County, you probably will think I am causeing this to get up. In case you have gone to Washington County, you are going to recognize - and know this is the true Tale.
Wausau, it wound up, had some fairly powerful possum politicians in the early '80s. Here i will discuss two matters they achieved:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led towards the developing within the monument along Point out Freeway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even received The usa Congress in endorsing the possum. Congress joined the pleasurable by providing the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a location to keep its yearly Entertaining Working day and Possum Pageant. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, among the other items, the festival appeals to Lots of individuals each year, and Additionally they find it irresistible.
Outing for any handful of educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum will be the equivalent lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use seven letters when 6 will accomplish?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and demonstrates its unpleasant physique only during the night time. This is exactly why, once you end up within right commit Florida, you could hear possum hunters' canine baying and barking. Treed by canine, the possum 'freezes', so it's not so challenging to entice (or shoot) one.
An inscription about the monument in the midst of Wausau cites the Possum removal Glen iris possum's job in providing 'each fur and foods' over the overall hundreds of years. It goes to say: 'Their presence here has provided a source of nutritious and flavorful foodstuff in standard instances and has been a vital assist to human survival when in distress and important will need.'
Chuckle if you want. The people of Wausau will chortle alongside - though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.