15 Facts About Idaho

Yes, they grow potatoes there.

IdahoPhoto byChris BaironUnsplash

When I hear ‘Idaho,” I think potatoes. I’m not sure that’s how Idaho wants to be known, but there are far worse things to be known for. After all, most of us love potatoes, so kudos to Idaho for producing those things.

I’ve had friends who live there, and they indicate it’s a beautiful place. Obviously, there’s more to the place than potatoes, so with that abbreviated introduction, here are some things you didn’t know about Idaho.’

1: Idaho is known as the “Gem State.”

I’m not sure if the “gem” being referred to here is a precious stone or potato.

2: Idaho was especially hard hit during the depression. In 1932 a bushel of potatoes sold for only 10 cents. For some context, in 1919 that same bushel would have sold for $1.51.

Maybe that was the problem. Maybe they were trying to sell the same bushel.

3: Idaho was home to a gold rush.

From 1860–66 19% of all gold mined in the US was mined in Idaho. So, I guess the “gems” in question were gold. It turns out Idaho has a lot of other precious stones.

4: Ernest Hemingway lived his final years in Idaho. It was in Ketchum, Idaho, that Hemingway’s depression got the better of him and he took his own life.

So, if you’re the department of tourism, how do you promote that?

5: Evel Knievel tried to jump the Snake River Canyon in a rocket boosted motorbike.

Spoiler alert! He didn’t make it. He and his bike plummeted like the potato market in 1932.

6: The movie, Napoleon Dynamite, is set in Idaho.

So, which Napoleon is cooler, Dynamite of Bonaparte. The answer? The one who has tots in his pockets. And no, that’s not what Napoleon Bonaparte was reaching in his pocket for.

7: The country’s first ski resort was built in Idaho. Ketchum, Idaho to be exact.

I believe Ketchum would rather be known for that than that Hemingway situation.

8: You really can’t pick up on an Idaho accent. In a study of how people throughout the country talk, people from Idaho have the most neutral accent.

Well, I guess if a person has no accent at all, you might deduce they are from Idaho.

9: The state sells 70% of the trout sold in the United States.

Do trout farmers wear overalls.

10: Not surprisingly, the world’s largest potato chip is found in Idaho. It’s a Pringle and It measures 23 inches by 14.5 inches.

Sounds like it would be really hard to dip.

11: The state fruit of Idaho is the huckleberry.

Surprisingly, Doc Holliday isn’t from Idaho.

12: In Pocatello, Idaho, it’s illegal to not have a smile on your face.

So, is the Joker the leading citizen?

13: If you are over 88 years old, it’s illegal to ride a motorcycle in Idaho.

I can’t imagine there are going to be many lobbyists to try to overturn that law.

14: Juveniles in Idaho are prohibited stepping on ants deliberately.

I’m not sure if they are allowed to fry them with a magnifying glass.

15: The longest main street in America is located in Idaho. It’s found in Island Park, Idaho and is 33 miles long.

It’s also home to the world’s most exhausted street walkers. Wait, being told that’s completely bogus.