On the side of State Highway
77 in Wausau stands what may
well be Florida's most
unique roadside memorial -
the Possum Monument.
Unveiled in August of 1982,
the unusual monument pays
tribute to the lowly possum
(or Opossum, as Northerners
seem to prefer).
The inscription on the
monument says it all:
Erected in grateful
recognition of the role the
North American possum, a
magnificient
survivor of the marsupial
family pre-dating the ages
of the mastodon and the
dinosaur
has played in furnishing
both food and fur for the
early settlers and their
successors. Their presence
here has provided a source
of nutritious and flavorful
food in normal times and has
been important aid to human
survival in times of
distress and critical need.
In addition, as the monument
inscription notes, you might
not be able to get
Democrats and Republicans
together on much in Florida,
but on one thing they agree:
The 1982 session of the
Florida Legislature further
recognized the possum by
passing a
joint resolution proclaiming
the first Saturday in August
as Possum Day in the Great
State
of Florida.
Wausau, as you probably have
guessed by now, is the
self-proclaimed "Possum
Capital
of the World." In addition
to the monument, the
community is home to the
"Possum
Palace," a nice
entertainment venue and the
home of the annual Fun Day
and Possum
Festival.
The celebration is held, of
course, on the state
designated "Possum Day" in
Florida
(the first Saturday of
August each year).
