There's a devote Florida that crafted a 12-foot-high monument in the center of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anybody must do that?
Perfectly, initial off, heroes consider time and effort to exploration with this put in place Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, house of less than 500 persons in the heart of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero understandably? No one else places the possum that has a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, back 1982, Wausau obtained Ill and Uninterested in getting overlooked within the Florida lists of fun, fairs and festivals. Each individual commit Florida demands a Pageant. And not 1 dedicate Florida features a Possum Pageant. Why not Wausau?
If you have not been to Washington County, you almost certainly will Feel I am Therefore, creating this up. For those who have frequented Washington County, you will comprehend - and know this is the real Tale.
Wausau, it proved, experienced some quite impressive possum politicians during the early '80s. Listed below are two factors they completed:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the First Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led for the constructing with the monument together State Highway seventy seven in Wausau.

They even got the United States Congress to market the possum. Congress joined the enjoyable by way of giving the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could have an area to maintain its yearly Entertaining Day and Possum Competition. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, between other matters, the Pageant attracts heaps of individuals annually, and they also discover it irresistible.
Trip for a lot of educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you connect with opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and reveals its unsightly physique only during the night. That's why, when you're inside of proper devote Florida, you may listen to possum hunters' canine baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it truly is not so complicated to trap (or shoot) a single.
An inscription about the monument in the midst of Wausau cites the possum's job in giving 'both fur and food items' through the full generations. It goes to say: 'Their existence below has supplied an origin of nutritious and flavorful foods in usual periods and consists of been a vital assist to here human survival in periods of distress and important need to have.'
Chuckle for those who'd choose. The people of Wausau will giggle coupled with you - while downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.