Council Bluffs, Iowa: Boy and the Boot Statue

One of several identical leaky-footwear statue/fountains scattered across the U.S. No one seems to know what they mean or why they were so widely popular. We like 'em!

Boy with the Boot

I'm almost 100% sure the Boy with the Boot statue from Midlands Mall is not located in the basement of the Dodge House. Having worked at the Dodge House and spent lots of time there, I don't ever remember seeing it there, and it's certainly not the type of item that would appear in the house. The only items displayed are those that have a connection with the Dodge family.

[Megan Klein-Hewett, 08/30/2007]

Boy With the Boot

You have a blurb about the Boy With the Boot in the Omni Business center in Council Bluffs (I don't believe there is a fountain there any more.) At last check (which admittedly was 5 or 6 years ago) he resides in the basement - cellar area of the General Dodge house. There is not much down there but some historical "junk," but it is on the tour of the house and the Boy With the Boot stands at the very end, near a display of old fashioned candy.

[Deirdre Rubink, 01/01/2006]

Boy with the Leaking Boot

The Midlands Mall has reopened as "The Omni Center" which is just a fancy name for office space, the Boy with the Boot is still on display, even though he did get kicked off of the fountain. Now he can be found just down the hall standing in a corner.

[David Wegman, 10/09/2003]

Boy with a Boot

We used to have a Boy with a Boot statue here in Council Bluffs. The last I remember, it was in the middle of a wishing well fountain in the Midlands Mall downtown. When the mall closed the statue disappeared. I'll try to find out what happened to it.

[Paul Damon, 08/25/1998]