Golden Driller, Tulsa, Okla.

At the turn of the 20th century, Tulsa struck oil. The city exploded as entrepreneurs rushed to capitalize on the growing number of oil fields in the area. To celebrate its good fortune, the city erected the Golden Driller in 1953. The 22-ton concrete-and-iron man, built to withstand a 200-m.p.h. tornado, was declared Oklahoma's official state monument in 1979. A plaque at its base reads, "To the men of the petroleum industry who by their vision and daring have created from God's abundance a better life for mankind."

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