A Place in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
A Place in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
Blog Article
There is a set in position Florida that crafted a 12-foot-superior monument in the guts of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any person need to do that?
Properly, to get started on, heroes are really hard to seek out In this particular spot in Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, residence of less than 500 folks during Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero as you would assume? No person else puts the possum around the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, again 1982, Wausau obtained Sick and tired of becoming ignored in the Florida lists of entertaining, fairs and festivals. Every single devote Florida demands a festival. And never one location in Florida carries a Possum Competition. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have never ever attended Washington County, you almost certainly will Consider I am making this up. For those who have gone to Washington County, you will comprehend - and know This is a real story.
Wausau, it wound up, experienced some pretty potent possum politicians noisy . '80s. Here i will discuss a set of issues they achieved:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the pretty first Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led to your building Together with the monument along Point out Freeway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even obtained the United States Congress to advertise the possum. Congress joined the enjoyment by way of providing the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau would've a site to hold its annual Exciting Working day and Possum Competition. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, among the other factors, the Competition draws in Countless persons Every single and annually, furthermore they like it.
Day trip for your couple of educating of Northerners here. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you contact opossum, (Why use 7 letters when six will probably do?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and shows its unpleasant human body only at nighttime. This is why, if you find yourself inside the ideal devote Florida, it is possible to listen to possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it can be not difficult capture (or shoot) just one.
An inscription around the monument throughout Wausau cites the possum's purpose in giving 'both equally fur and food items' through the click here full hundreds of years. It goes on say: 'Their presence here has delivered an origin of nutritious and flavorful food items in typical times and it has been A necessary help to human survival for the duration of occasions of distress and important have to have.'
Chortle if you prefer. The people of Wausau will snicker along with you - though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.