There's a area in Florida that developed a 12-foot-large monument in the center of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anybody would like to do that?
Very well, to start with off, heroes are tough to return by with this set in place Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, household of below five hundred people in the heart of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero understandably? No one else puts the possum which has a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, again 1982, Wausau got Ill and drained with remaining disregarded with the Florida lists of enjoyable, fairs and festivals. Each commit Florida needs a Pageant. Instead of one particular put in place Florida carries a Possum Pageant. Why don't you Wausau?
If you've under no circumstances attended Washington County, you probably will Assume I am making this up. If you have visited Washington County, you can expect to comprehend - and know This is actually the real story.
Wausau, it wound up, experienced some very impressive possum politicians inside the early '80s. Here i will discuss certain things they accomplished:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led to your developing during the monument along State Highway 77 in Wausau.
They even acquired America Congress to market the possum. Congress joined the exciting by the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau may have a locale to hold its annual Entertaining Working day and Possum Pageant. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, amongst other issues, the festival draws in Countless men and women on a yearly basis, furthermore they adore it.
Day out for a few educating of Northerners here. The South's possum would be the similar lowly animal you connect with opossum, (Why use 7 letters when six website will do?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and exhibits its unpleasant entire body only at nighttime. That is why, when you find yourself from the appropriate devote Florida, you'll be able to listen to possum hunters' canines baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', for that reason it's not difficult to capture (or shoot) one.
An inscription with regards to the monument in the course of Wausau cites the possum's purpose in supplying 'both of those fur and foodstuff' throughout the total hundreds of years. It goes to say: 'Their presence below has provided a resource of nutritious and flavorful foodstuff in usual times and it has been an important support to human survival when in distress and demanding want.'
Chuckle if you want. The people of Wausau will laugh as well as you - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.