Gaveling in its session on this, the 150th birthday of Idaho, the State Senate gave itself—and the people of Idaho—a birthday present today: a renaming of the Legislative Auditorium in the State Capitol's West Wing as the Abraham Lincoln Auditorium. "Idaho was born out of political conflict on this day," Idaho Falls Republican Sen. Bart Davis told his colleagues on the Senate Floor this morning, prior to a noontime celebration. Davis shared a brief history lesson with lawmakers this morning on how the Idaho Territory got its name. "In the early 1860s, what we call Colorado today was ready to become a territory," said Davis. "A leader in that area thought up the name 'Idaho,' telling others it meant 'gem of the mountains.' He told them it was an Indian word. It wasn't. He made it up"/George Prentice, Boise Weekly. More here.

Question: Did you know that "Idaho" was a made up name?