A Familiar Face Returns to Fort Myers

JOINING US. THAT ICONIC LANDMARK IN FORT MYERS CELEBRATES ITS ONE 100TH BIRTHDAY AT THE ENTRANCE OF EDISON PARK. THE STATUE, RACHEL, AT THE WELL, PROUDLY CREATES RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ACROSS FROM THE EDISON FORD WINTER ESTATES FOR DECADES. THE FOUNTAIN DEPICTING A GRECIAN MADDEN POURING WATER. WELCOME TO VISITORS AND DRIVERS WHO PASSED BY ON THE GREATER BOULEVARD DAMAGES SUSTAINED DURING HURRICANE IAN SEEMED TO SPELL THE END FOR THE STATUE. BUT AS WGCUS ARTS REPORTER TOM HALL SHARES RESTORATION EFFORTS MADE SURE THAT THE SUPPOSE IT RACHEL WOULD BE READY FOR A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION. >> THREW A BIG PARTY ON SUNDAY. HUNDREDS LINED THE PARADE ROUTE WHICH MEANDER THROUGH ANDERSON PARK AND A BRIGHT BLUE BIRD. APRIL AFTERNOON, THOMAS EDISON WAS THERE IN A GLEAMING YELLOW MODEL T BEHIND HIM FOLLOW THE EDISON PARK ELEMENTARY DRUM CORPS AND THE FORT MYERS HIGH SCHOOL GREEN WAVE MARCHING BAND. THE EDISON PARK SCHOOL VIOLINIST DAVID CHARMING, RESIGN. THE OCCASION WAS THE ONE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ORIGINAL DEDICATION OF EDISON PARK AND THE CREATION MADDEN WHO GREET RESIDENTS AS THEY RETURN HOME FROM WORK RUNNING ERRANDS, MORE TIME OUT OF TOWN. SHE'S KNOWN AFFECTIONATELY AS RACHEL AT THE WELL IN THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE AND 3 AND A HALF YEARS AGO, MANY OF THE EDISON PARK FAIR. SHE COULD BE PUT BACK TOGETHER AFTER THE BOAT IN VIETNAM TWINE WROUGHT IRON FENCE THAT STOOD BEHIND HER FOR 96 YEARS, BROKE HER NECK AND HER BACK. AND ON OUR CONSERVATION TEAM OUT OF TENNESSEE IN MIAMI DID RESTORE HER TO HER ORIGINAL GLORY. WHILE CONTRACTORS REBUILT THE COLUMNS AND FENCING THAT SURROUND THE GRACEFUL MADE. MAYOR KEVIN ANDERSON ELOQUENTLY EXPRESS THE EMOTIONS. EVERYONE WAS FEELING AS HE STRODE TO THE PODIUM MORNING AS SO CEREMONY. IT FEELS LIKE A HOMECOMING. WE STAND HERE TO REDEDICATE, RACHEL AT THE WELL, NO OFFICIALLY AS THE SPIRIT OF FORT MYERS, BUT TO MANY OF US, RACHEL, IS SOMETHING FAR MORE PERSONAL. SHE'S A FAMILIAR FACE. SHE'S A QUIET PRESENCE, A SYMBOL. WE HAVE PASSED 100 TIMES SOMETIMES WITHOUT EVEN REALIZING HOW MUCH SHE MEANS TO US. >> KIM GATE HAS LIVED IN MEDICINE PARK FOR 37 YEARS. SHE'S ALWAYS MINDFUL OF RACHEL'S PRESENCE AND A SENSE OF COMMUNITY. SHE INSPIRES IN HER AND IN HER NEIGHBORS. >> I ALWAYS SAY GOOD MORNING OR GOOD NIGHT. I'M SURE AS I'M DRIVING THROUGH, SHE IS ALWAYS LOOKING DOWN ON US. >> IT'S JUST A MESS NEIGHBORHOOD. YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY, WE HAVE A LOT OF OUR NEIGHBORS ARE AND I KNOW THEY FEEL THE SAME WAY. THE 92 DURING THE INVOCATION. >> ATTENDEES RECEIVED A REMINDER OF THE BIBLICAL PASSAGES THAT MENTION RACHEL AT THE WELL. BUT TRUTH BE TOLD RACHEL WAS A NICKNAME THAT CITY WORKERS GAVE THE STATUTE BECAUSE OF HER PROXIMITY TO THE THOMAS, A EDISON CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. THE NAME STUCK AND PEOPLE ASSUMED THE SCULPTURE. MUFFINS ENGINE OR SNOW BROTHERS PROJECT MANAGER JAMES, THE NEWTON HAD GIVEN HER THAT MONIKER YEARS PAST THE STATUE FELL INTO DISREPAIR. THE CITY IS BEAUTIFICATION ADVISORY BOARD INTERVENED, HIRING THE SCULPTURE. FORT MYERS DOWN DJ WILKINS TO REMOVE CORRODE CAST IRON PLUMBING AND GET THE FOUNTAIN RUNNING AGAIN. NEWTON ATTENDED THE SCULPTURES REDEDICATION DECEMBER 6, 1983. HE SHOCKED THE CROWD WHEN HE TOLD THEM THAT THE SCULPTURE IS TRUE. TITLE IS IN THE SPIRIT OF FORT MYERS SINCE THAT EVENT, THE SCULPTURES COME TO SYMBOLIZE FORT MYERS, UNSHAKEABLE SPIRIT THAT DOG UNRESOLVED RESILIENCE AND PLUCK THE TOWNSPEOPLE DISPLAY IN THE FACE OF NATURAL AND FINANCIAL DISASTERS. >> AS WATER FLOWS ONCE AGAIN FROM OUR HANDS AND FEEL SYMBOLIC. NOT JUST OF LIFE, BUT THE RENEWAL. CONTINUITY. THE IDEA THAT EVEN AFTER HARDSHIP. SOMETHING MEANINGFUL CAN RETURN STRONGER AND PERHAPS EVEN MORE CHERISH THEM BEFORE. MAYBE THAT'S WHY SHE MATTERS SO MUCH BECAUSE IN HER WE SEE OURSELVES, WE SEE RESILIENCE. WE SEE GRACE UNDER PRESSURE. WE SEE THE QUIET STRENGTH. IT TAKES TO WIN THERE. >> AND TO BEGIN AGAIN, RACHEL IS NOT FORT MYERS, OLDEST PUBLIC ARTWORK THAT TITLE IS HELD BY THE HEAD AND SIREN LORELEI WHICH WAS SCULPTED BY ELIZABETH FINNEY IN 18. 82. BUT RACHEL IS THE SCULPTURE THAT SYMBOLIZES THE HEART, THE MINDSET AND YES, THE SPIRIT OF THIS TOWN. SO HAPPY ONE 100TH, RACHEL AND EDISON PARK. >> I REALLY LOVE THE FACT THAT PEOPLE FOUGHT FOR SO MANY YEARS THAT THE SCULPTURES NAME IS ACTUALLY RACHEL AT THE WELL, I KNOW I HAVE THOUGHT THAT. DO WE KNOW WHO SHE REALLY DEPICTS A? >> THE SCULPTOR. HIS NAME IS HELMET FUNDS ENGINE CALLED THE PALM LEAF REPORTER IN 1926. THAT SHE'S THE EPITOME OF THE GREEK GODDESS OF LIFE, GIVING FRESH WATER WITH THE CONNECTION TO ELECTRICITY WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE GREEK MYTHOLOGY, THAT MEANS THAT HER ACTUAL NAME IS TEETH. THIS AND SHE'S THE DAUGHTER OF URANUS AND GAIA. THE FUND'S ENGINE HAD JUDGED A BEAUTY CONTEST SEVERAL WEEKS BEFORE HE BEGAN WORK ON THE STATUE AND HE PROMISED THE WINNER THAT HE WOULD USE HER AS HIS MUSE. NOW, MY ONGOING RESEARCH HAS YET TO REVEAL THE IDENTITY OF THAT YOUNG WOMAN. BUT IT'S LIKELY THAT RACHEL BEARS AN UNCANNY RESEMBLANCE TO SOME BUDDIES. GREAT, GREAT, GREAT, GREAT GRANDMOTHER. >> I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT. >> YOU ALSO REPORTED THAT THOMAS EDISON WAS AT THE PARADE. >> WAS THE ALSO THE DEDICATION IN 1926. HE WAS. >> WHAT HAPPENED IS VONN'S ENGINE AND ACTUALLY PLANNED OF THE STATUE TO BE A NUDE. AND WHEN SOME OF THE LOCAL LADIES FOUND OUT THAT INFORMATION, THEY IMMEDIATELY WENT TO MY MEDICINE AND ASKED TO USE HER INFLUENCE TO HAVE THE SCULPTURE PUT CLOTHES ON THE STATUE. SO MY DAD, A SON, SOMEONE'S THE PROJECT MANAGER, A GUY BY THE NAME OF JAMES NEWTON TO SEMINOLE LODGE AND THEN NEWT HAS TO GO BACK TO THE SCULPTURE AND HAVE HIM PUT A SHIFT ON THE STATURE. WELL, MINA WAS SO APPRECIATIVE SHE AGREED TO DO THE UNVEILING OF A STATUE AND HER DEDICATION. AND ALTHOUGH IT IS AT THE TIME, THOMAS EDISON INSISTED ON BEING AT THE EVENT. SO YEAH, HE WAS AT THE ORIGINAL DEDICATION. HOW WERE THEY ABLE TO ACTUALLY PUT? >> CLOTHING ON THE SCULPTURE. >> HE'S ALREADY DONE. AND THAT THAT'S INTERESTING. AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE HE DID NOT CARVE THAT STATUE OUT OF A BLOCK OF STONE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO WORK ON SITE QUICKLY AND ECONOMICALLY. HE HAD DEVELOPED A SUBSTITUTE STONE, A COMPOUND THAT HE COULD APPLY IN LAYERS OVER KIND OF LIKE A SCALABLE FORM AND SO WHEN A NEWTON TOLD HIM TO PUT A SHIFT ON THE STATUE, HE JUST SIMPLY HAD TO ADD ANOTHER LAYER OF CONCRETE IN ORDER TO MAKE THE SHIFT THAT YOU SEE TODAY. UNDER STAN VAN ZANDT, JEAN WAS AN ARTIST. HE DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT. BUT JAMES NEWTON WAS A SAVVY YOUNG MAN. HE KNEW THAT IT WAS BETTER TO HAVE TOM AND MINE AT US AND HIS FRIENDS RATHER THAN ITS ENEMIES. AND OF COURSE, A PAID OFF BECAUSE SEVERAL YEARS LATER, NEWTON AUTHOR OF THE BOOK ON COMMON FRIENDS WHICH DESCRIBES THESE TEENY FRIENDSHIP THAT AS AND SHARED WITH HENRY FORD AND HARVEY FIRESTONE. SO INTERESTING. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT DETAIL. I'M ALWAYS LEARNING MULTIPLE THINGS. >> FROM YOUR STORIES, TOM. WELL, THAT'S THAT'S ALL CITIZEN IT WORKS. THANK YOU.