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A political rivalry between two would-be Idaho governors, a fight over where Washington's capital should be, 
gold strikes in the Idaho Panhandle and more played into the current-day shape of the state of Idaho, according to historic maps unveiled to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee today after its budget hearing on the Idaho State Historical Society. Under one, drawn by Lt. John Mullan, the entire North Idaho Panhandle would have become part of Washington. Under the other, drawn by William H. Wallace, not only the Panhandle but all of Montana and most of Wyoming were drawn into the new Idaho Territory/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here. (Jesse Tinsley SR file photo: A stone marker and sign sit at the Fourth of July pass commemorating the road built from Missoula to Walla Walla in 1862 under Capt. John Mullan's supervision)
Question: Would you North Idahoans want to be part of Washington state?
D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.
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Norther on February 09 at 2:54 p.m.
No way. If any of us thought having Boise as a capital was bad, imagine Olympia.
Codywiench on February 09 at 3:26 p.m.
From what I’ve always understood, Washington did not want N. Idaho because the mining industries of the Silver Valley might compete with Puget Sound interests. So, N. Idaho would have never been part of Washington, regardless of what the two governors were feuding about.
wheeldog on February 09 at 3:40 p.m.
Is it too late to still give northern Idaho to Washington? Will they still take it?
HonestGeorge on February 09 at 3:52 p.m.
I’d go along with a Montana connection. But it seems like politically we have a Mississippi connection.
mrd on February 09 at 8:38 p.m.
Sure, WA has a lot of positives going for it that ID does not.
Ravenlady on February 10 at 7:01 a.m.
Would be easier to drive to the capital Olympia instead of driving 95 to Boise.
But, I would not want to be a part of Washington. Maybe Montana would be better though.