Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled a statue of Lady Columbia as part of America's ongoing 250th birthday celebration while speaking at a press conference in Lake City in Columbia County.
Lady Columbia derives from Christopher Columbus. An Italian explore and navigator, Columbus' 1492 voyage across the Atlantic Ocean opened European contact to the Americas and eventual landings of president day Florida and the United States.
"She's [Lady Columbia] had a huge part in America folklore, particularly in the 17 and 1800s. Here, in 1832, our legislature, the territorial legislature, established Columbia County," DeSantis said. "They took Alachua and Duval, and they carved it out of that, and the county seat was established at Alligator Town, which was renamed Lake City when the railroad arrived in 1859."
Lake City is known as the "The Gateway to Florida" for its location between Interstate 75 and Interstate 10.
"She was really symbolic of this great spirit, particularly in the 1800s. That's a very, very beautiful statue of a very beautiful, fictitious but still very beautiful woman that symbolizes a lot about the United States of America," DeSantis said.Â
Gov. DeSantis' unveiling is the latest in a long line of statues as part of America 250 throughout the year, including Presidents Abraham Lincoln, James Madison, Andrew Jackson, Calvin Coolidge, and James Monroe. DeSantis has also unveiled statues of founding fathers Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton, as well as civil rights icon Frederick Douglass.
"It really is about showing appreciation for the people that helped establish our country and help make it where it is because we're inheriting that legacy," DeSantis said on its significance. "We didn't do that. We were gifted that from previous generations, and we were gifted better than any other place on the face of the earth. And so, we should appreciate that."
Secretary of State Cord Byrd joined Gov. DeSantis for the unveiling.
"We've been celebrating America 250 for really about two years now, and we've done more than any other state," Byrd said. "Some states barely did anything. Some states stopped at July 4th. We're making this a year-long celebration, and it's been a real honor to work on getting these statues in place."
