After our tour of the State House, there was time for questions.  One of the first things I learned was the building is heated by underground hot springs which come from deep in the earth. Idaho is an interesting state with lots of mountains and rivers. We found out that if all the mountains were flattened out, Idaho could be the size of Texas.  Idaho is famous for its potatoes, it grows about 20 percent of the nation’s crop, and about 50 percent of McDonald’s french-fries come from Idaho potatoes.

Everyone wanted to know what the word Idaho means.  It is actually a made up word! People in Colorado tried the name out first for their territory, but didn’t like it.  Then it was used by miners looking for gold in the territory and it stuck.  Idaho became a territory in 1863 when Abraham Lincoln signed the bill, then a it became a state in 1890. In 27 years the Idaho Territory had 16 governors, four who never set foot in Idaho!  Maybe that was why so many silly laws were passed, because no one was there to say no to the voters.   Purrs, Gulliver