Residents ask Idaho Falls City Council to consider statue honoring early educator Rebecca Brown Mitchell

Two Idaho Falls residents asked the City Council during public comment to consider a proposal to commission a statue honoring Rebecca Brown Mitchell, an early Idaho Falls educator and civic reformer. Callie Wanda and Karla Ashman told the council they have researched sculptors and historic approvals and said they would handle fundraising and most project work if the city would provide a site and coordinate with Parks and Recreation.

Wanda, who introduced the idea, outlined Mitchell’s biography, telling the council Mitchell arrived in the Idaho Falls area in 1882, started the community’s first Sunday school and school, helped bring a Carnegie library to the city, supported women’s suffrage and temperance, lobbied the state legislature to raise the age of consent for girls, and worked on prison reform and parole efforts. Wanda said Mitchell once asked, “why not do the unheard of thing?” and that the proposed statue would be intended to inspire similar civic engagement.

The presenters said they have met with local history supporters, including Jim Francis, and with Janet Gallimore at the Idaho State Historical Society in Boise, who offered guidance on monument process. They said they have spoken with sculptors Irene Deeley and Ben Victor, and with State Senator Kevin Cook about broader outreach. Wanda and Ashman said they are exploring a fiscal pass-through via a 501(c)(3) so donations can be received for the project and that they would write educational materials, such as a fourth-grade history unit tied to the monument.

Wanda said the group examined Mitchell’s grave and a small fountain at Rose Hill Cemetery, which they found in disrepair, and asked the council to consider placing a statue on city land such as the Greenbelt or Heritage Park. They said Parks and Recreation would need to be involved for siting and installation and that they would undertake fundraising and project management.

Mayor Casper acknowledged the public comment, thanked the presenters for their research and enthusiasm, and said the council does not deliberate during public comment but will ensure the presentation is included in the meeting record and passed on to staff for consideration.

No formal action or vote by the council was taken during the public comment period. The presenters asked only that the city consider land availability and that staff and the parks department be engaged if the project moves forward.