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Tidbits Visits Idaho • Vol. 19: #28 • (7-9-2023) Tidbits of Coachella Valley
Nicknamed "The Gem State" and known for its breathtaking scenery, majestic mountains, spectacular waterfalls and national parks, Idaho provides a rich array of exciting landmarks and outdoor activities for both its residents and visitors alike. Follow along with us as Tidbits discovers how our 43rd state offers a lot more than just potatoes!
HOW IDAHO WAS NAMED
• George Willing was a physician in the mid-1800s when he got caught up in the gold rush, ending up at Pike’s Peak in what is now Colorado. He ran for office but lost and became a lobbyist instead. When it came time to choose a name for the region, Willing lobbied hard for “Idaho” claiming it was an Indian term meaning “gem of the mountains.” When it was later learned that he made up the word supposedly because he was enamored with a girl named Ida, the new state was named Colorado instead.
• Still, a riverboat owner liked the word Idaho and named his steamship after it. The ship carried
hundreds of settlers up the Columbia River and was well known. When gold was discovered on the Clearwater River nearby in 1860, people began referring to the area as “the Idaho mines.” When the region became a territory in 1863, the Idaho name stuck, and it became the state’s official name in 1890.
• But still, the myth that Idaho was an Indian word persisted. When researchers asked members of various Indian tribes in the area, including Nez Perce, Shoshone, Arapaho, and Yakima, for any phrase that sounded even vaguely like “Idaho” they all drew a blank.
WHY "THE GEM STATE"?
• Idaho's nickname is well earned as there are 72 kinds of gems found in the state, along with 240 types of minerals. The only region with a greater variety of gems is Africa. Idaho's minerals produce semi-precious gems like aquamarine, cerrusite, vivianite, pyromorphite and ilavite. The Idaho mountains contain deposits of gold veins, zinc, lead, copper and cobalt.
• The Idaho state gemstone is the star garnet, named for the four- or six-point rays that spread out like a star when the stone is properly cut and polished.
Idaho is one of only two places in the world where star garnets can be found; the other is in India. Anyone can mine their own star garnets at the Emerald Creek Garnet Area, with a scavenger limit of up to two pounds of garnet material daily.
IDAHO SPUDS
• You just canʼt talk about Idaho without talking about potatoes, and we wonʼt disappoint. Idaho is the top potato producing state in the U.S. due to its ideal climate conditions and rich, volcanic and peat soils.
Out of necessity during World War II, potato processing plants grew in numbers, which encouraged Idaho farmers to increase their crops. After the war they kept up their production, and Idaho potatoes are famously known today as the best in the world.
POTATO PECULIARITIES
• The world’s largest potato on record was not actually grown in Idaho. This honor goes to British gardener Peter Glazebrook of the U.K,. who in 2011 grew a ten-pound, 14 oz. spud, which is some three pounds heavier than a newborn baby. While this is impressive, Idaho, however, has bragging rights to a couple of other tubers that are in the truly tremendous category.
• It started this way: In 2012, the Idaho Potato Commission wanted to celebrate the 75th anniversary of their organization by spreading the word about the health benefits of potatoes. So they built a gigantic 12,000-lb. fiberglass potato, mounted it on a flatbed semi-truck, and sent it on tour. The potato team handed out literature, gave speeches and lectures, and did interviews at parades, county fairs, and store openings throughout the country.
• Though the tour was supposed to last just one year, it was so successful that The Big Potato Truck still continues its travels today. If the Big Potato were real, it would be equal in size to about 20,000 medium-sized potatoes, and would easily make a million French fries.
• Alas, the original Big Potato began to wear out after weathering seven years on tour. It was replaced by a new version, but what should be done with the old Big Potato? The problem was solved when Kristie Wolfe, who toured with the potato for two years, purchased it.
• She placed it permanently on some acreage she owned near Boise, and turned it into the potato hotel. The hollow interior of the potato measures 28 feet long, 12 feet wide, 11.5 feet tall and offered 336 square feet to work with. Wolfe constructed a bedroom and lounging area, added electricity, heat, air-conditioning, and an indoor fireplace. A full bathroom including a Jacuzzi is located in a converted grain silo next door. Travelers can enjoy a comfortable stay in the big spud for $200 per night.
• Taking second place for the world’s largest potato would be the 400-pound, 17-foot “GlowTato.” This polystyrene/resin potato is painted to resemble an Idaho potato, and stuffed with flashing LED lights. The giant spud spectacle is hoisted high in the air by a crane
IDAHO CURIOSITIES
• Did you know that it is illegal to fish from the back of a camel in Idaho? Actually, what the law says is that it is illegal to fish while astride any animal. The ruling referred to a horse, and the reason for the restriction is that any hooved animal that lingers for long on a riverbank tramples the delicate riparian zone. Because the law only said “animals,” some jokester interpreted that to mean it’s against the law to fish from the back of a camel, though it is equally illegal to fish from the back of an elephant, ostrich, kangaroo, giraffe or hippo.
• The winter of 1947-48 was an exceptionally cruel one in Idaho, leaving the citizens in the town of Pocatello generally depressed and sullen. In an effort to cheer citizens up, Mayor George Phillips passed a tongue-in-cheek ordinance stating it was illegal not to smile at your fellow Pocatello citizens. The regulation was supposed to last only one week, but no one ever took it off the books.
• Some 40 years later, a reporter found the law still in the records and wrote about it. At the time, the American Bankers Association was trying to get outdated banking laws updated. They pressured Congress by pointing out ridiculous old laws that had never been repealed. This “Smile Ordinance” became central to their campaign, receiving national attention. Pocatello enjoyed the attention and became the “Smile Capital” of the world. The law remains in place, but is never enforced.
• Island Park, Idaho boasts having “the longest Main Street in America.” You would think that a main street 33 miles long would make Island Park a huge metropolis, yet the Idaho town has fewer than 300 residents. The city limit, while being 33 miles long, is only an average of 500 feet wide. Main Street is actually the only street in that town, and there are long stretches of the road where there’s nothing but sagebrush and tumbleweed.
• So, why such a weirdly skinny shape for such a sparsely populated town? Because Idaho state regulations prohibited the sale of liquor outside city limits.
The state highway that runs through the middle of town is near Yellowstone National Park, drawing a large number of tourists to the area. Various resorts, lodges, and restaurants popped up along the highway, separated by long stretches of empty land. The business owners wanted to meet their guestsʼ requests for liquor service, but could only do so if they were inside city limits. Therefore, in 1947, city planners redrew the city limits to include as many businesses as possible, giving Idaho “The Longest Main Street In America.” □
