There's a spot in Florida that created a 12-foot-higher monument in the guts of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any person wish to do that?
Perfectly, to begin with, heroes are hard to receive using this devote Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, property of below 500 folks in the guts of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero to state the the very least? No person else puts the possum about the pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Next, in 1982, Wausau received fed up with currently being ignored within the Florida lists of enjoyable, fairs and festivals. Each and every commit Florida desires a Competition. And never 1 put in place Florida contains a Possum Pageant. Why don't you Wausau?
If you haven't been to Washington County, you almost certainly will Imagine I am thus, making this up. In case you have absent to Washington County, you may recognize - and know This may be a accurate story.
Wausau, it proved, experienced some rather potent possum politicians in the early '80s. Here's two or three points they attained:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the initial Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led for the constructing in the monument along Point out Highway seventy seven in Wausau.

They even acquired The usa Congress to market the possum. Congress joined the enjoyment by the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might need a location to help keep its annual Enjoyment Working day and Possum Competition. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, among other issues, the festival attracts lots of people annually, and so that they find it irresistible.
Day out For several educating of Northerners listed here. The South's possum would be the equivalent lowly animal you contact opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and displays its unappealing entire body only during the night time. That's why, when you end up read more in the suitable commit Florida, you are able to listen to possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by puppies, the possum 'freezes', so it is not so tough to hook (or shoot) one.
An inscription to the monument in the course of Wausau cites the possum's purpose in providing 'equally fur and food stuff' throughout the centuries. It goes on to say: 'Their existence listed here has furnished a supply of nutritious and flavorful meals in regular occasions and it's been an essential aid to human survival in moments of distress and significant require.'
Chortle if you like. The people of Wausau will giggle along with you - although downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.