Idaho became a territory when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Territorial Act on March 4, 1863.
Idaho became the 43rd state of the United States on July 3, 1890 when President Benjamin Harrison signed the Act.
Idaho’s nickname is “The Gem State.”
State Symbols
Motto: Esto Perpetua (“It is perpetuated” or “May it endure forever”) appears on the State Seal which was designed by Emma Edwards Green —- the only State seal designed by a woman. The seal was adopted by the legislature on March 14, 1891. Gov. Willey awarded her the honorarium for the design on March 5th.
Bird: Mountain Bluebird (1931)
Flower: Syringa (1931)
Song: Here We Have Idaho (1931)á
Tree: Western White Pine (1935)
Gem: Star Garnet (1967)
Horse: Appaloosa (1975)
Fossil: Hagerman Horse Fossil (1988)
American Folk Dance: Square Dance (1989)
Fish: Cutthroat Trout (1990)
Insect: Monarch Butterfly (1992)
Fruit: Huckleberry (2000)
Vegetable: Potato (2002)
Raptor: Peregrine Falcon (2004)
Idaho’s Geography
Land Area: 83,557 square miles (13th in land area)
Water Area: 880 square miles
Highest Point: 12,662 feet above sea level at the summit of Mt. Borah, located in the Lost River Range, Custer County
Lowest Point: 770 feet above sea level on the Snake River at Lewiston
Length: 479 miles
Width: 305 miles
Geographic Center: Settlement of Custer on the Yankee Fork River, Custer County
Number of Lakes: more than 2,000
Navigable Rivers: Snake, Coeur d’Alene, St. Joe, St. Maries, and Kootenai
Largest Lake: Lake Pend Oreille, 180 square miles
Temperature Extremes: Highest, 118° F at Orofino (July 28, 1934); Lowest, -60° F at Island Park Dam (January 18, 1943)
Official Government Website