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 devote Florida that built a 12-foot-significant monument in the center of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone have to do that?
Properly, to start with, heroes consider effort and time to receive inside this location in Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, home of underneath 500 folks in the middle of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero as you would probably expect? Nobody else places the possum with a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, very last 1982, Wausau bought sick and Fed up with becoming left out in the Florida lists of enjoyment, fairs and festivals. Every single set set up Florida demands a festival. And never one location in Florida contains a Possum Pageant. Why don't you Wausau?
If you've in no way attended Washington County, you probably will Imagine I'm causeing this for being up. If you have attended Washington County, you'll understand - and know It is just a true Tale.
Wausau, it proved, experienced some really powerful possum politicians in early '80s. Here are certain things they attained:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the incredibly first Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led to the making in the monument along Condition Highway 77 in Wausau.
They even obtained America Congress to promote the possum. Congress joined the entertaining by the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could have a place to assist its yearly Entertaining Day and Possum Competition. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, amid other items, the festival appeals to Many people today yearly, plus they like it.
Day out For several educating of Northerners in this article. The South's possum is analogous lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will execute?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and reveals its unsightly human check here body only during the night. This is exactly why, when you are during the right put in place Florida, you are able to hear possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', consequently it's not challenging seize (or shoot) a single.
An inscription around the monument in the middle of Wausau cites the possum's position in supplying 'both of those fur and foodstuff' through the entire hundreds of years. It goes on to say: 'Their existence here has presented a resource of nutritious and flavorful foodstuff in ordinary instances and possesses been A vital aid to human survival a lot more distress and significant will need.'
Chortle if you'd prefer. The people today of Wausau will laugh together with you - though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.