Wausau, Florida: The Possum Monument

The Possum Capital of the World honors a marsupial that became a tasty meal when times were tough.

Wausau, Florida, is tiny, but claims to be the Possum Capital of the World. The unlimited supply of possums in nearby Reedy Creek Swamp helped to put meat on Wausau tables during hard times, and in gratitude the town erected an impressive granite Possum Monument on August 2, 1982. Engraved with a family of possums in a tree, it remains the biggest thing in town. Locals claim that any possum found dead on a roadside will have its nose pointed toward Wausau and the Possum Monument - apparently the possum's idea of heaven.

A great small-town attraction. On the side of the road, across from a tiny post office, next to an equally tiny town hall and library. The text on the monument is hilarious, and worth a read.

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.

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.