Question
Here is the question : BEFORE IDAHO BECAME A STATE, WHICH STATE WAS ALMOST NAMED IDAHO?
Option
Here is the option for the question :
- Washington
- North Dakota
- Colorado
- New Mexico
The Answer:
And, the answer for the the question is :
Explanation:
It has been determined that a man named George Willing, who was born in Philadelphia, and who falsely won an election in the territory that subsequently became Colorado, is the origin of the name “Idaho.” Even though he was never elected to public office, his suggestion that the territory be given the name “Idaho” made it all the way to the Senate in 1860. Despite the fact that Colorado was selected as the winner, the name “Idaho” persisted in the public awareness, and it was ultimately selected as the name of the new territory that separated from the Washington territory in 1863.
Before Idaho became a state, it almost had a very different name. In fact, the name “Idaho” was not even in use until it was suggested by a lobbyist for the territory in the late 1860s. Prior to that, the territory was known by a number of different names, including “Montana”, “Shoshone”, and even “Colorado”.
Yes, that’s right – Colorado was almost the name of the future state of Idaho. In the early 1860s, a group of prospectors from Colorado traveled to the area that is now Idaho in search of gold. They were impressed by the landscape and the potential for mining, and they began to refer to the region as “Colorado Territory”. This name was used for a few years, and it was even officially recognized by the federal government in 1863.
However, the name “Colorado” was already taken at the time – it was the name of another territory, which would go on to become a state in 1876. As a result, the prospectors and settlers in what is now Idaho began to look for a new name for their territory. There were a number of suggestions, including “Montana” (which was ultimately used for a neighboring territory), “Shoshone” (which was the name of a local Native American tribe), and “Idaho”.
The origins of the name “Idaho” are somewhat murky. According to some sources, it was invented by a lobbyist named George M. Willing, who claimed that it was a Native American word meaning “gem of the mountains”. However, there is no evidence that this word was ever actually used by any Native American tribe in the area. It is more likely that Willing simply made up the word to make it sound exotic and appealing.
Regardless of its origins, the name “Idaho” caught on quickly, and it was officially adopted by the territorial legislature in 1863. It was later used when the territory became a state in 1890, and it has been the name of the state ever since. Today, Idaho is known for its natural beauty, its outdoor recreation opportunities, and its thriving potato industry. It is hard to imagine the state being called anything else, but it is interesting to think about what might have been if the prospectors from Colorado had had their way.