Wander around downtown Cheyenne, Wyoming, and you’ll encounter a series of 8-foot-tall boots, each made of fiberglass and hand-painted by a local artist to reflect the history and culture of the city and the state. Those with the ambition and the time can locate the 30-plus boots using a map supplied by the Cheyenne Depot. Dubbed “These Boots Are Made for Talking,” it is not an entirely unique concept. I’ve already seen similar projects in Oklahoma, Indiana, and North Carolina. They are a great way to display community pride and to welcome visitors, and I for one hope to see more such projects in years and cities to come.

Mary Martha Buffaloes - Bartlesville, Oklahoma

Bartlesville, Oklahoma, features the “Mary Martha Buffaloes,” first created in 1998 as part of a Girl Scout project to benefit a local charity organization. Similar to the boots, the buffaloes are hand-painted by local artists and speak to the city’s and state’s history. Local businesses and organizations sponsored the various buffaloes and/or a calf-version of them, with the funds channeled to Mary Martha Outreach, which provides clothing and other goods and services to those in need.

Modoc Elephants - Wabash, Indiana

In Wabash, Indiana, a series of painted elephant statues pay homage to Modoc the elephant, who in 1942 escaped along with two other pachyderms from the Great American Circus. The circus had docked in Wabash for a performance. Dogs spooked the elephants, but while the other two were shortly recovered, Modoc smelled fresh roasted peanuts from the Bradley Brothers Drug Store. She crashed through the front door, helped herself, then led trainers on a chase across a river and into the farming communities of the neighboring county before finally being lured into a trailer. The statues can be found in front of the site of the store, which today is occupied by Modoc’s Market. A plaque references the event, recounting “Her antics hit headlines across the country, making Modoc the most famous elephant in America for one week in 1942.”

Cherokee Bears - Cherokee, North Carolina

The Cherokee Bears project started in 2005. Local artists painted statues of the bears, which were chosen due to their cultural significance to the Cherokee culture. The artists reside within the Qualla boundary. On my visit to Cherokee, I unfortunately don't have much time so only see a few of the 19 bears that are situated around town.