Idaho Trivia & Tidbits - Page 13

Looking for Idaho trivia? Try our list Idaho little know facts, tidbits and trivia.

Bavarian-born Moses Alexander became the country’s first Jewish governor when he was elected in 1914. He served two terms, then returned to operating his business—a successful chain of men’s clothing stores. He also served two terms as mayor of Boise.

first appeared: 2/2/2003

Idaho experienced its highest-ever temperature—118 degrees—at Orofino (pop. 3,247) July 28, 1934. Its lowest—60 degrees below zero—occurred Jan. 18, 1943, at Island Park (pop. 215).

first appeared: 1/26/2003

Idaho encompasses 83,557 square miles, making it the 13th-largest state in area. By contrast, its population of 1,293,953 ranks it 39th in number of citizens.

first appeared: 1/19/2003

Idaho’s lowest point is 770 feet above sea level at the Snake River in Lewiston (pop. 30,904). The state’s geographic center rests at the settlement of Custer on the Yankee Fork River in Custer County.

first appeared: 1/12/2003

The only turtle living in the wild in Idaho is the painted turtle, found in the state’s Panhandle.

first appeared: 1/12/2003

On Oct. 28, 1983, Borah Peak—the tallest mountain in Idaho at 12,662 feet—grew another eight inches. An earthquake, which shifted this and other geological formations for miles, was the cause.

first appeared: 1/5/2003

It is believed the first white men to set foot in Idaho did so with the Lewis and Clark expedition when they crossed the Lemhi Pass on Aug. 12, 1805. They lived with the Nez Perce tribe near Kamiah (pop. 1,160) for six weeks.

first appeared: 12/29/2002

The name Idaho, once thought to be a derivation of a Shoshone word meaning “Gem of the Mountains,” is actually an invented word thought up long ago. Even so, Idaho is known as the “Gem State.”

first appeared: 12/22/2002

The state’s largest tree is a western red cedar 18 feet in diameter located near Elk River (pop. 156). The exact location of every state champion tree is available from the University of Idaho Extension Forestry service.

first appeared: 12/22/2002

Four types of marble were used to create the 50,000 square feet of carvings inside Idaho’s Capitol: red marble from Georgia, gray from Alaska, green from Vermont, and black from Italy. Idaho has the only Capitol heated by geothermal water—in this case—pumped from a source 3,000 feet underground.

first appeared: 12/22/2002

Idaho’s population uses the second- largest amount of water in the United States, consuming 22.3 billion gallons per day. Of that, 97 percent—21.6 billion gallons—are used for the state’s largest industry—agriculture. Only California uses more water.

first appeared: 12/15/2002

Hells Canyon National Recreation Area rests along the boundary between Idaho and Oregon. Hells Canyon is deeper than the Grand Canyon National Monument and is the deepest river gorge in North America, reaching 9,300 feet deep in some places.

first appeared: 12/8/2002

The Custer Motorway in Land of the Yankee Fork Historic Area near Challis (pop. 909) offers a look at the area’s mining past. Gold was discovered here in 1870, and the mining towns of Custer and Bonanza were born. By 1911, the gold had played out and both Custer and Bonanza were ghost towns.

first appeared: 12/1/2002

Hells Gate State Park near Lewiston (pop. 30,904) has the lowest elevation in Idaho—713 feet above sea level. The low elevation and long warm-weather season contribute to Lewiston’s reputation as “Idaho’s Banana Belt.”

first appeared: 11/24/2002

Soda Springs (pop. 3,381) is home to the only man-made geyser in the world, originating Nov. 30, 1937, in an attempt to find a hot water source for a swimming pool. The geyser is now capped and controlled by a timer, erupting every hour.

first appeared: 11/17/2002

Much of the external structure of the state Capitol, completed in 1920, is constructed of sandstone taken from Table Rock just east of Boise. Inside, 50,646 square feet of marble from Georgia, Alaska, Vermont, and Italy occupies the corridors, floors, and building’s base.

first appeared: 11/10/2002

The 1860 discovery of gold near Pierce (pop. 617) brought in thousands of fortune seekers from the West Coast, giving Idaho the rare distinction of being settled from west to east. The state’s oldest government building—the 1862 Pierce Courthouse—was erected in 1862 to register miner’s claims.

first appeared: 11/3/2002

The wild huckleberry was named the official state fruit in 2000, after elementary school students in Cocolalla (pop. 715) proposed the idea. Low-growing huckleberry bushes need an insulating cover of snow to keep their roots from freezing in a cold climate, so they do well in this northern state.

first appeared: 10/27/2002

Water in the Moyie River flows south from British Columbia into the Idaho panhandle, whereupon it plunges over Moyie Falls into the Kootenai River before heading back north into Canada.

first appeared: 10/20/2002

The 112-mile Payette River Scenic Byway in western Idaho gives travelers an exhilarating look at whitewater on the Payette River, which it follows for 40 miles.

first appeared: 10/13/2002

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