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 place Florida that crafted a 12-foot-significant monument for the duration of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anybody ought to do that?
Well, very first off, heroes are tricky to come by Within this location in Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, dwelling of less than five hundred individuals in the course of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero as you'll assume? No person else places the possum over a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, back again in 1982, Wausau received Weary of being neglected during the Florida lists of fun, fairs and festivals. Each make investments Florida needs a Competition. Rather than just one devote Florida provides a Possum Pageant. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have not visited Washington County, you almost certainly will Consider I am creating this up. When you've got attended Washington County, you may realize - and know it is a legitimate Tale.
Wausau, it turned out, had some very powerful possum politicians noisy . '80s. Listed here are a number of factors they achieved:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the primary Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led to the building Along with the monument together State Highway 77 in Wausau.
They even bought The us Congress to market the possum. Congress check here joined the enjoyable by way of providing the funds for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could have a spot to assistance its annual Entertaining Day and Possum Festival. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, among the other things, the Competition draws in tons of people each year, they usually discover it irresistible.
Trip for any few educating of Northerners here. The South's possum is analogous lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will execute?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and exhibits its hideous system only during the night. That is why, once you end up In the appropriate position in Florida, you can listen to possum hunters' canines baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it's not so tough to entice (or shoot) one particular.
An inscription for the monument for the duration of Wausau cites the possum's role in offering 'equally fur and food stuff' from the overall generations. It goes on to say: 'Their presence here has provided an origin of nutritious and flavorful foods in typical instances and it's been an important assistance to human survival considerably more distress and critical need to have.'
Laugh If you prefer. The persons of Wausau will laugh along with you - though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.