Wausau, Florida - Possum Monument in Possum Capital

The Annual Possum Festival & Funday on the first Saturday in August, is located in Wausau, FL, approximately 9 miles south of Chipley. While Chipley would gladly lay claim to the title, the citizens and town council of Wausau would be offended if we took such liberties. The Wausau Community Development Corp. works extremely hard each year to put on the festival and they should receive the kudos.

Also, while not a community in our County, I must advise the "Steele City Zoo" has been closed for some time -- an unfortunate story or so I hear. [Chris MacBlain, Washington County Chamber of Commerce, 07/26/1999]

In Chipley FL, which is the self-proclaimed Possum Capital of the U.S. there is an engraved bronze plaque commemorating the possum. It seems that during the depression when there was little to eat the abundance of possum in the vicinity allowed people to survive. This plaque tells the story.

My buddy who lives near there swears that whenever a possum is struck by a car anywhere in the US, the animal turns its body so that it head is pointing toward Chipley before it expires. [Henry Horrocks, 01/01/1997]

[RA: There is a granite monument to the Possum about five miles south of Chipley. According to the monument inscription, it was erected by the "Wausau Community Development Club" in 1982.The Florida State Legislature has proclaimed that the first day in August is "Possum Day."]