A Place in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum
A Place in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum
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There is a place in Florida that designed a twelve-foot-substantial monument all through town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone would like to do that?
Well, to start with, heroes are complicated to acquire on this spend Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, household of less than five hundred persons in the course of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero to say the minimum? No one else places the possum on the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, back again in 1982, Wausau acquired Sick and tired of getting disregarded inside the Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Each put in place Florida requires a festival. And not a single dedicate Florida features a Possum Competition. Why not Wausau?
If you have never gone to Washington County, you almost certainly will Consider I am generating this up. Should you have been to Washington County, you are going to comprehend - and know This can be the true story.
Wausau, it ended up, experienced some really effective possum politicians through the early '80s. Here are two factors they attained:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led towards the here creating through the monument together State Freeway 77 in Wausau.
They even received America Congress to advertise the possum. Congress joined the fun by the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau may need a place to hold its yearly Fun Day and Possum Festival. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, between other matters, the Pageant draws in plenty of individuals every year, and in order that they find it irresistible.
Time out for your couple of educating of Northerners in this article. The South's possum would be the equivalent lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will do?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and demonstrates its unsightly body only at nighttime. This is exactly why, For anyone who is within suitable position in Florida, you can listen to possum hunters' canines baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it's easy more than enough seize (or shoot) a single.
An inscription with the monument in the guts of Wausau cites the possum's function in delivering 'both of those fur and meals' all over the hundreds of years. It goes on to say: 'Their presence here has supplied a source of nutritious and flavorful food in regular occasions and it has been a vital help to human survival considerably more distress and demanding need.'
Chortle if you love. The men and women of Wausau will laugh along with you - while downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.