JBA Network
 
Search
(Location, Name, Category, or Keyword)   Advanced Search
Idaho, US (Population: 1,466,465)
State Capitol: Boise

Major Cities: Nampa, Pocatello, Idaho Falls, Meridian. Coeur d'Alene, Twin Falls, Lewiston, Caldwell, Moscow

State Nickname/Motto: Gem State – Esto perpetual: (Let it be perpetual), It is Forever

Statehood Granted: July 3, 1890

History: Humans may have been present in the Idaho area as long as 14,500 years ago. Excavations at Wilson Butte Cave near Twin Falls in 1959 revealed evidence of human activity, including arrowheads that rank among the oldest dated artifacts in North America. American Indian tribes predominant in the area included the Nez Perce in the north and the Northern and Western Shoshone in the south.

History: During its first years of statehood, Idaho was plagued by labor unrest in the mining district of Coeur d'Alene. In 1892, miners called a strike which developed into a shooting war between union miners and company guards. Each side accused the other of starting the fight. The first shots were exchanged at the Frisco mine in Frisco, in the Burke-Canyon north and east of Wallace. The Frisco mine was blown up, and company guards were taken prisoner. The violence soon spilled over into the nearby community of Gem, where union miners attempted to locate a Pinkerton spy who had infiltrated their union and was passing information to the mine operators. But agent Charlie Siringo escaped by cutting a hole in the floor of his room. Strikers forced the Gem mine to close, then traveled west to the Bunker Hill mining complex near Wardner, and closed down that facility as well. Several had been killed in the Burke-Canyon fighting. The Idaho National Guard and federal troops were dispatched to the area, and union miners and sympathizers were thrown into bullpens.

Geography: Highest point: Borah Peak; 12,662 feet. Idaho borders the states of Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Montana, Wyoming and the Canadian province of British Columbia (the Idaho-BC border is 48 miles long). The landscape is rugged with some of the largest unspoiled natural areas in the United States. It is a Rocky Mountain state with abundant natural resources and scenic areas. The state has snow-capped mountain ranges, rapids, placid lakes and steep canyons. The waters of Snake River rush through Hells Canyon, deeper than the Grand Canyon. Shoshone Falls plunges down rugged cliffs from a height greater than that of Niagara Falls. The major rivers in Idaho are the Snake River, the Clearwater River and the Salmon River. Other significant rivers include the Boise River and the Payette River. The Port of Lewiston is the farthest inland seaport in the Pacific Northwest.

Ethnic Diversity: One Race 98.0%), White (91.8%), Black or African American 0.4%), American Indian and Alaska Native (1.1%), Asian 1.1%), Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (0.1%), Some other race 3.5%), Two or more races (3.5%), Hispanic or Latino (9.1%)*

Famous State People:
  • Gutzon Borglum (1867 - 1941) The Sculptor of Mount Rushmore; born near Bear Lake.
  • Sacagawea (c. 1790 -1812 or 1884) The Shoshone Indian that interpreted for explorers Lewis and Clark; born in eastern Idaho.
  • Joe Albertson (1907 - 1993) Grocery chain founder, opened his first grocery store in Boise.
  • Harmon Killebrew (1936 - )Played baseball for the Minnesota Twins and was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame; born in Payette.
  • Picabo Street (1971 - ) skier, 2-time Olympic medallist, born in Triumph.
  • Bill Fagerbakke (1957 - ) Played an assistant coach on the hit television series "Coach"; graduate of the University of Idaho.
  • Ezra Pound (1885 - 1972) Poet; born in Hailey.
  • Philo T. Farnsworth (1906 - 1971) Inventor of television. He first came up with the idea when he was only 14 years old. Emigrated to Rigby in 1919 at the age of 11.
  • Paul Revere (1938 - ) Musician, raised in Caldwell.
  • Patrick McManus (1933 - ) Author, born near Sandpoint.
  • Fred Dubois (1851 - 1930) Senator, born in Crawford County.
  • Ezra Taft Benson (1899 - 1994) Former secretary of Agriculture, prophet of the LDS church; born in Whitney.
  • Lou Dobbs - Anchor and managing editor of CNN's Lou Dobbs Moneyline; grew up in Rupert.


  • Major Colleges/Universities: Albertson College of Idaho, Boise State University, Brigham Young University-Idaho, Idaho State University, Lewis-Clark State College, Northwest Nazarene University, University of Idaho, North Idaho College, College of Southern Idaho, New Saint Andrews College

    State and National Parks: California National Historic Trail, City of Rocks National Reserve, Craters of the Moon National Monument, Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, Minidoka Internment National Monument, Nez Perce National Historical Park, Oregon National Historic Trail, Yellowstone National Park, Bear Lake State Park, Box Canyon State Park, Bruneau Dunes State Park, Castle Rocks State Park, City of Rocks State Park, Coeur d'Alene Parkway, Dworshak State Park, Eagle Island State Park, Farragut State Park, Harriman State Park,, Hells Canyon, Hells Gate State Park, Henrys Lake State Park, Heyburn State Park, Lake Cascade State Park, Lake Walcott State Park, Lucky Peak State Park, Malad Gorge State Park, Massacre Rocks State Park, Mary Minerva McCroskey State Park, Niagara Springs State Park, Old Mission State Park, Ponderosa State Park, Priest Lake State Park, Round Lake State Park, Three Island Crossing State Park, Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, Lake Walcott State Park, Winchester Lake State Park, Yankee Fork State Park

    Misc: The largest industry in Idaho is the science and technology sector. It amounts for over 25% of the State's total revenue and 70%+ of the State's exports (in dollars). Idaho's industrial economy is growing, with high-tech products leading the way. Since the late 1970s, Boise has emerged as a center for semiconductor manufacturing. Boise is the home of Micron Technology Inc., the only U.S. manufacturer of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips. Hewlett-Packard has operated a large plant in Boise, in southwestern Idaho, since the 1970s, which is devoted primarily to Laserjet printers production. Dell, Inc. operates a major customer support call center in Twin Falls. AMI Semiconductor, whose worldwide headquarter locates in Pocatello, is a widely recognized innovator in state-of-the-art integrated mixed-signal semiconductor products, mixed-signal foundry services and structured digital products.

    *U.S. Census - 2005