A partial view of C Street, with the V for Virginia City.

“Cities paint their initials on mountains for various reasons, such as showing school pride, civic identity or artistic expression,” according to Bing Chat.

There is an actual name for these letters.

“Hillside letters or mountain monograms are a form of geoglyph (more specifically hill figures) common in the Western United States, consisting of large single letters, abbreviations, or messages emblazoned on hillsides, typically created and maintained by schools or towns.

“There are approximately 500 of these geoglyphs, ranging in size from a few feet to hundreds of feet tall. They form an important part of the western cultural landscape, where they function as symbols of school pride and civic identity.

Wikipedia shoots down what it calls the “myth that hillside letters were built to identify communities from the air for early pilots who air-dropped mail is untrue.”

“The first three mountain monograms built were constructed to end rivalries between different graduating classes at universities,” according to Wikipedia. “Letters have also been erected to celebrate winning teams, to commemorate the building of high schools, in memory of local community members, and as Boy Scout projects.

“The first hillside letter built is the ‘L’ in 1904 representing Lahainaluna High School. This 30-foot letter ‘L’ at about the 2000-foot level on Mt. Ball, part of the West Maui Mountains, was created by students of Lahainaluna High School by clearing the plants and weeds and adding lime to prevent regrowth. It is still lit up annually during graduation ceremonies.

“The second hillside letter was built by University of California-Berkeley students was in March 1905,” Wikipedia continues. “The letter C was constructed out of concrete and placed on Charter Hill overlooking the U.C. Berkeley.”

By The Great Depression, cities’ initials were taking parts of the West by storm.

“Although the pace has slowed since then, newly constructed letters continue to appear today,” according to Wikipedia. “Meanwhile, many letters are fading due to lack of maintenance (especially in cases where the school that created the letter has closed), or have been removed outright due to environmental concerns or changing aesthetic preferences.”

According to Bing, some of the reasons why cities paint their initials on mountains are:
• to end rivalries between different graduating classes or schools;
• to celebrate winning teams or commemorate special events;
• to honor local community members or historical figures;
• to promote tourism or local businesses;
• to express creativity or artistic vision.