WILSON — Exactly 136 years to the day the original Statue of Liberty was dedicated in New York City, a dedication ceremony for a miniature replica of the iconic statue was conducted Oct. 28 in Wilson’s American Legion Park.

“It’s so warming to see this many people out for something that is so special,” Melinda Merrill, owner of Wilson’s Midland Railroad Hotel and coordinator of the statue project, said during the dedication. “It’s incredibly needed at this point in our country.”

Mayor Mike Peschka gave a brief summary of Wilson’s immigrant history during the dedication.

“The reason the early Czech immigrants came to the United States and, ultimately, to Wilson, was to seek freedom and opportunity,” Peschka said.

Peschka noted many of those immigrants and their descendants proudly served in two world wars, the Korean conflict Vietnam and other areas of engagement.

“Men and women from Wilson and the surrounding area continue to serve as we speak,” Peschka said. “Some lost their lives protecting what this Lady of Liberty represents. It is to them, and all of our veterans, that we should be forever grateful.”

Mike Kratky, adjutant of the Wilson American Legion Post 262, also spoke about the service through the years of those immigrants and their descendants in defense of America’s freedom.

“It only seems fitting that this Statue of Liberty, as a symbol of our community’s continuing freedoms, has found a perfect spot in our Legion Park,” Kratky said.

Merrill said the statue, one of 26 in Kansas, was donated by two retired military officers, Col. Mary Rose Enderle and Lt. Col. Richard E. Bogenrife, frequent guests of the Midland Railroad Hotel, and were married there in 2008.

In March, Enderle and Bogenrife were visiting with Merrill about the Kansas Mini-Statues of Liberty Freedom Ride 2022, a self-guided tour of all of the statue replicas in Kansas sponsored by the Eastern Kansas Tour Riders.

Merrill was so impressed with what the couple was doing with their motorcycle club, she asked them to let the Midland be included as a stop during the tour.

The next week, Enderle and Bogenrife called Merrill and told her they had purchased a miniature replica of the Statue of Liberty for Wilson.

“That was pretty cool,” Merrill said. “It’s taken a lot of time to get it all put together.”

Enderle said she and Bogenrife donated the statue because they love Wilson.

“There was 25 statues in the state of Kansas, and we’ve visited all 25,” Enderle said. “We thought Wilson needs a statue.”

Enderle said Wilson’s statue is amazing.

“It’s beautiful,” Enderle said. “We’re very impressed and very happy.”

Merrill said the United States is at a point in its history where there is a lot of division in the country.

“The reason I thought this was such a neat project for them to be doing is the fact is we’re all Americans, we’re all behind the Statue of Liberty and we all appreciate immigrants,” Merrill said. “It was just an amazing thing to have Wilson included — a town that was basically built by immigrants — as part of the Statue of Liberty replicas.”

Merrill said most of the other Statue of Liberty replicas in Kansas were actually done by the Boy Scouts. In 1950, the Boy Scouts of America decided to place 200 replicas of Lady Liberty around the nation in recognition of the Boy Scouts’ 40th anniversary.

She said Enderle and Bogenrife originally wanted to place the statue on the grounds of the Midland Railroad Hotel.

“But, I just thought having it in the American Legion Park was totally appropriate due to the veterans involved,” Merrill said,“and I thought more people could actually see it. As you come in on Old 40 Highway, you can see it all the way from the Snack Shack in. It’s a magnificent spot. They have the war memorial there and this is a nice combination for both.”

Merrill said the statue faces southeast — the direction from which immigrants came by rail to Wilson.

“I think it (the statue) is a celebration of the way that Wilson began,” Merrill said.“I think it’s a celebration of who we are now as a country, and I think it’s an incredible thing for people to come here and see that we are supporters of the United States.”

The statue and pedestal are 16 feet, 5 inches tall and sit on a 1-foot tall base in the shape of a sevenpointed star.

“We chose seven because there are seven spires on the (Statue of Liberty’s) crown,” Kratky said.“That represents the seven seas and the seven continents.”

The pedestal and base were built by Kyler and Son of Kanopolis. The statue is made of aluminum with a mint green patina and features a flickering LED-lighted torch similar to the original version in New York Harbor.

Merrill said stonemason Kirk Robson of Ellsworth is scheduled to attach native limestone rock to the base of the statue. A bronze dedication plaque titled “Liberty Enlightening the World” will also be attached.

The plaque has this inscription on it: “This Lady Liberty is dedicated to the immigrants of Wilson, Kansas, and their search for freedom, inspired hope and opportunity for those seeking a higher purpose.”