Idaho Trivia & Tidbits - Page 8

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

The oldest standing building in the state, Cataldo Mission near Coeur d’Alene (pop. 34,514) was built by Jesuit missionaries and the Coeur d’Alene Indians between 1848 and 1853. Designed by Father Anthony Ravalli, the Greek Revival-style building features wooden altars painted to resemble marble and a dome reminiscent of European cathedrals.

first appeared: 12/19/2004

Born in 1916 in Indiana, Richard Zimmerman arrived in Elk Bend, south of Salmon (pop. 3,122), in 1948 and staked a claim on the banks of the Salmon River. Over the years, he dug more than a dozen caves along the riverbank, living in one of them and earning himself the nicknames "Dugout Dick" and "the Salmon River Caveman."

first appeared: 12/5/2004

When the Warhawk Air Museum was moved from Caldwell (pop. 25,967) to Nampa (pop. 51,867) in 2001, some of its exhibits—including a World War I DR-1 Fokker triplane replica and a World War II P-51C Mustang fighter—made the journey by road. The museum's re-opening also showcased two Curtiss P-40 fighter planes that were used in the making of the 2001 movie Pearl Harbor.

first appeared: 11/21/2004

Chinese-American pioneer Polly Bemis (1853-1933) arrived in Idaho Territory in 1872, after being sold by her family in China. She married Charlie Bemis in 1894, and the couple homesteaded along the Salmon River. Polly’s story is told at her riverside cabin, now on the National Register of Historic Places, and at the Historical Museum at St. Gertrude, located near Cottonwood (pop. 944).

first appeared: 11/7/2004

The Moscow Mountain Conservation Area, near Moscow (pop. 21,291), protects a grove of 1,000-year-old cedar trees. Old-growth cedars also can be found at the Hobo Cedar Grove Botanical Area near Clarkia (pop. 190). The trees have survived both logging and devastating fires.

first appeared: 10/24/2004

The 1895 Bi Metallic Building in Wallace (pop. 960) was built as a hotel and saloon, but with a ratio of 200 men to each woman in the local silver mining area, it later became a bordello. Today, it’s home to the Oasis Bordello Museum.

first appeared: 10/10/2004

In 1952, when a traveling carnival was cancelled just 10 days before Fourth of July celebrations in Rexburg (pop. 17,257), disappointed residents quickly found a replacement. They purchased a 1926 wooden carousel in Ogden, Utah, then moved and set it up in time for Independence Day. Since 1990, the carousel—with 12 new and 26 restored horses—has been known as the Idaho Centennial Carousel.

first appeared: 10/3/2004

When Brad Byers of Moscow (pop. 21,291) swallowed 10 27-inch-long swords on Aug. 13, 1999, he set a world record for most swords swallowed. He then twisted the swords 180 degrees. His other stunts include juggling while riding a unicycle or lying on a bed of nails, and holding live tarantulas or scorpions in his mouth while blowing bubbles.

first appeared: 9/19/2004

The state’s official program to promote its heritage by using highway markers began in 1956, as a project of the Idaho Transportation Department and the Idaho Historical Society. It was revitalized in 1986, and there are now more than 240 wooden signs announcing sites of historic interest along the state’s highways.

first appeared: 9/12/2004

A member of the Pawnee tribe, Larry EchoHawk became the first American Indian to serve as a state attorney general when he was elected in Idaho for the 1990 to 1994 term. Currently a law professor at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, EchoHawk also is a member of the EchoHawk legal firm in Pocatello (pop. 51,466).

first appeared: 9/5/2004

The Coeur d’Alene tribe, which has its administrative offices in Plummer (pop. 990), was given its name, meaning “heart of the awl,” by French traders and trappers in the late 1700s and early 1800s in recognition of the tribe’s sharp trading skills. Tribal members call themselves Schitsu’umsh in their ancient tribal language, which means “the discovered people” or “those who are found here.”

first appeared: 8/29/2004

Founded in 1938, the Appaloosa Horse Club was based in Moscow (pop. 21,291) in 1947, when its records—contained in a shoebox—were moved from Oregon to the home of George Hatley, the club’s new executive secretary. At that time, the club had 200 horses and 100 members registered. Today, the club is an international breed registry with more than 635,000 horses and 33,000 members on record.

first appeared: 8/22/2004

Producing more than 3 billion pounds of french fries and other potato products annually, Boise-based J.R. Simplot Co. is one of the world’s largest frozen potato processors. J.R. Simplot founded the company after he quit school in 1923 at age 14 and went into business near Declo (pop. 338). The company now employs 12,000 people worldwide.

first appeared: 8/15/2004

Measuring 25 inches long and 14 inches wide, one of the world’s largest potato chips is displayed at the Idaho Potato Expo in Blackfoot (pop. 10,419). The expo, located in the 1913 Oregon Short Line Railroad Depot, was founded in 1988 to celebrate the potato’s contributions to the area’s economy.

first appeared: 8/8/2004

Completed in the early 20th century, Magic Dam on the Big Wood River south of Bellevue (pop. 1,876) rises 129 feet and spans 700 feet to create the Magic Reservoir. Water stored there is used for irrigation, and the reservoir also is a popular fishing spot for rainbow trout and perch.

first appeared: 8/1/2004

Established in 1990 to celebrate the state’s centennial, the Idaho State Centennial Trail stretches 1,200 miles from Nevada to the Canadian border. Along the way, it passes through 11 national forests, crosses two national historic trails—the Oregon and the Lewis and Clark—and travels through terrain such as sagebrush desert, cedar forests and river canyons.

first appeared: 7/25/2004

Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, the Lochsa Ranger Station near Lowell (pop. 30) demonstrates life in the 1920s at a backcountry U.S. Forest Service ranger station. Lochsa is an American Indian word that means “rough water,” which can be found nearby on the Lochsa River.

first appeared: 7/18/2004

Since Yellow Pine (pop. 40) held its first annual harmonica contest in 1990, money raised during the all-volunteer event has helped support the volunteer fire department, the community hall upgrade and local street grading. The contest honors prospecting pioneers and their harmonicas and attracts hundreds of players and thousands of spectators each August.

first appeared: 7/11/2004

Champion jockey Gary Stevens, born March 6, 1963, in Caldwell (pop. 25,967), rode his first thoroughbred winner in 1979 at age 16. Since then, his achievements include winning three Kentucky Derby, two Preakness Stake and three Belmont Stake races, along with induction into thoroughbred racing’s hall of fame in 1997. He also played jockey George Woolf in the 2003 movie Seabiscuit.

first appeared: 6/27/2004

Incorporated in 1896, New Plymouth (pop. 1,400) is one of the nation’s first “planned” communities. Laid out in a double horseshoe shape, the town was organized by the New Plymouth Society of Chicago. Each colonist bought 20 shares of stock at $30 a share, and in return received 20 acres of land and a town lot.

first appeared: 6/20/2004

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