The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-10-12
THE NAMING OF IDAho.
Mr.. George H Walker Gives ,"e
..Ssraixsst Facts" Of she Aauef.

SEATTLE, nct- II.
Ta-v~ rpr-oa: see IN your paper o.
this morning a. article copied from TIE
EnsSe s.as.rrsan in regard 20 the naming Q.
The territory q; Idaho. Knowing inat
am a. fully informed on that saolecs =
snv other man living have concluded 10
reply.
That N. name vas taken from 'ne
steamer Idaho which is noS owned oy lss
q. 2. n. Co. and now running cf t-s
Souna. there Is no question. but the DOS
vas not built hy the o. 3 & y. Co, oas -
Co.ora. I. :. Euckle. 20 run between the
Cascades and The palies in connection
win the steamer Mountain Back, when
run from Portland 20 the Cascades, osioIe
the O. {. & y. Co. was formed
The above named company was foTint q
The fall Of issn. when Colonel Rackle, wao
Owned the ADORE named boats, and Law
-.nra and Thompson. who owned the
steamer Colonel Wright, above The pahes,
went into the combination WITH me ni 81,
sords and Ainsworths and others, and
formed the Q. 5 4 y Co., when = no"
merged into the @. L. & ). Co.
irst saw the name or that steamer the
fall o; 1850 on tip from british AInefiea
10 Portland, and was impressed with Inc
beauty OF il and inquired into us origlh'
etc, and was told that il was from the Nez
Perez Indians language, anu thai tne
meaning was Gem of the Mountain.
In the spring OF 1851 went TO the Pro
fino mines, in Whist Is now ohoShone conh-
tv. Idaho. and located a. Pierce City, then
a portion OF Washington territory. That
wear there were three candidates nomi-
mated for congress- William II. Wallace by
the Republicans. Selucius Garfield by the
Douglas Democrats, and Judge Lander
(b.other OF the generan by the Brecken-
ridge wing OF the Democratic party. Ihey,
in eompany with Judge Hays, Travelled
over the eastern portion of The territory,
making speeches where they could gel q
crowd together. When they arrived AT
Pierce City invited them to stop st my
house, being personally acquainted win
Wallace and Garfield. While there we hsd
3 talk about division of the territory ana
the candidates agreed that which ever one
was elected would favor aivlsion. linen
the inquiry was made, what viii we name
it? replied, Idaho, and they all said
That is the name.
Wallace was elected. still the new tern.
tory was not created until the 81 DAY Vi
March, 1855. one day before Wallace : term
in congress from Washington expired, ana
he came out as the first governor OF the
new territory OF Idaho, and was elected
that fall its first delegate to congress.
Garfield was not in Washington, nor was
he a delegate to congress at the time the
territory was created. Without question.
| am the one who suggested the name OF
Idaho for that territory, ana Governor
Wallace carried ont the agreement mace IN
my house at Pierce City. Joaquin Miller
had about as much TO do with the naming
of Idaho as his friend, from whom he took
part OF his name, joaquin Muriatta, a
Mexican bandit in California, who was
killed by Colonel Love Sears, before gold
was discovered in Washington or Idaho.
Trusting that You will find space in your
paper for this communication, am truly
yours. GEORGE b. WALKER.