In Ellensburg, there’s a statue celebrating the town’s cattle ranching and frontier history originally titled “Cowboy”…and what a boy he is, with his, uh, tail dangling between his legs just so, inviting you to sit next to him on the bench. Still in the building stages, people were offended by the name, people were offended by the potential schlong, there was presumably some shrieking of “Won’t somebody please think of the children?”, and ultimately the name was changed to “The Bull” before being cast and erected in 1986. Heh…erected.

Spotted on N Pearl St in Ellensburg, WA

Segis Pietertje Prospect (aka “Possum Sweetheart”) was a mighty famous cow in the early 1900s. Twice, she shattered milk production records, producing over 37,000 pounds of milk in a year, when the average cow produced around 4,000 pounds. She produced her own weight in milk about every three weeks, and her accomplishment garnered her newspaper headlines, celebrity visits, and this statue of her likeness, proclaiming her “the foster mother of the human race”. Pretty good for a cow!

Spotted (and spotted)  on NE Carnation Farm Rd in Carnation, WA

In the 1920s, the nation was, well, scandalized by the Teapot Dome Scandal, when the government leased United States oil reserves to private oil companies at low rates without competitive bidding. This being before the age of internet petitions and just yelling in the comments section all day long, citizens had to demonstrate their discontent in other ways. Richard Thomas of Zillah felt that the best way to cry out “Not MY President” was to build a gas station in the shape of a teapot. No longer in service (and in fact, the oil field in question was sold this year), the teapot dome itself has been restored and is a constant reminder that the government is probably up to something that’s not in your best interests. It’s now on the national register of historic places and remains a fine example of American pop architecture.

Spotted on 1st Ave in Zillah, WA