A Place in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum
A Place in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum
Blog Article
There is a place in Florida that constructed a twelve-foot-high monument in the midst of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone choose to do that?
Perfectly, initially off, heroes are tricky to receive inside of this devote Florida - the Panhandle capital of scotland- Wausau, home of underneath 500 individuals in the middle of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero to put it mildly? No one else places the possum around a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, back 1982, Wausau got sick and Bored with becoming disregarded While using the Florida lists of enjoyable, fairs and festivals. Each individual dedicate Florida demands a festival. And never one particular location in Florida incorporates a Possum Pageant. Why don't you Wausau?
If you've got under no circumstances been to Washington County, you almost certainly will Feel I am causeing this for being up. In case you have visited Washington County, you are going to understand - and know It's a true story.
Wausau, it turned out, had some pretty potent possum politicians inside the early '80s. Here's two or three points they achieved:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the very first Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led towards the setting up with the monument along Point out Freeway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even obtained the United States Congress to market place the possum. Congress joined the enjoyable by means of supplying the funds for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau may need an area to carry its yearly Entertaining Day and Possum Competition. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, between other points, the Pageant attracts A large number of individuals Every single and yearly, and so that they like it.
Outing for many educating of Northerners listed here. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use seven letters when six can do?) It is a smallish marsupial that life in trees and demonstrates its unpleasant human body only at night. This is more info exactly why, any time you end up within the suitable invest Florida, you are able to hear possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', as a result it really is straightforward to capture (or shoot) a person.
An inscription throughout the monument in the middle of Wausau cites the possum's position in supplying 'both of those fur and food stuff' from the overall hundreds of years. It goes on say: 'Their existence below has offered an origin of nutritious and flavorful food items in regular situations and it's got been A necessary enable to human survival considerably more distress and critical require.'
Snicker if you prefer. The people of Wausau will chuckle coupled with you - though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.