Idaho
Remembering Idaho's founding fathers and the controversial debate in the road to statehood – East Idaho News
IDAHO FALLS – There was a “pensive and awful silence” as John Hancock took pen in hand and became the first of 56 delegates to sign the document Thomas Jefferson and the rest of the committee had drafted.
It was Aug. 2, 1776 and after months of debate, the Second Continental Congress now felt the magnitude of what they were doing.
The final draft of the document now known as the Declaration of Independence had been approved on July 4 after the written text had passed with a 12-0 vote two days earlier.
The words expressed what the colonists had been fighting for nearly a year and a half after the start of the Revolutionary War.
“We, therefore … solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved,” the document said. “With a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
Each delegate approached the table to sign the document in large, bold ink, knowing full well it was an act of treason against the British Crown.
It “was believed by many at that time to be our own death warrants,” Benjamin Rush, a delegate from Pennsylvania, wrote of that historic moment.
It would be another 11 years before the Constitution was ratified and the United States of America, with its system of laws and democratic republic form of government, was born.
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Two hundred and forty-eight years later, the Declaration now sits in the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. Americans gather every July 4 to celebrate its existence and the accomplishments of the nation’s founding fathers.
RELATED | How Idaho got its name and became the nation’s 43rd state
Wednesday, July 3, was another historic occasion for Idahoans. On that day in 1890, Idaho became the nation’s 43rd state. It also had a contentious beginning. Here’s a look back at some of the Gem State’s founding fathers and the issues of the day.
Idaho’s Constitutional Convention and the ‘anti-Mormon’ Test Oath
It was Benjamin Harrison, America’s 23rd president, who signed the act that created the state of Idaho. He later paid a visit to the Gem State and planted a tree at the Statehouse in Boise.
George Shoup, for whom Shoup Avenue in downtown Idaho Falls is named, was integral in getting the Constitutional Convention to assemble and begin the process of debate that would lead to statehood.
“As territorial governor, Shoup guided the convention until they produced a constitution,” F. Ross Peterson writes in the book “Idaho’s Governors.”
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William Clagett, an attorney who practiced law in several territories, including Idaho, served as president of the convention.
Between July 4 and August 6, 1889, representatives throughout the Idaho territory met in Boise to debate every important topic covered by the Constitution, according to the Idaho State Historical Society.
One of the most controversial issues was the Test Oath, a bill passed by the Idaho Legislature in 1884 and written into the Constitution that prevented members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from voting or holding public office.
The church practiced polygamy at the time, which the general public opposed. The increasing amount of Latter-day Saints coming to Idaho caused concerns about their voting power, which prompted the legislation.
Fred Dubois, a Republican delegate at the convention from whom the eastern Idaho town gets its name, was one of the legislation’s most ardent supporters. He’d previously served as a U.S. Marshall for Idaho who “became absolutely obsessed with the Mormon problem.” In that capacity, he felt it was his duty as a government agent to make sure Latter-day Saints obeyed the laws of the land, which outlawed polygamy.
On May 9, 1885, Dubois raided Paris, Idaho, where a large number of church members lived. He rounded up several polygamist men who were arrested and sent to prison.
“In December 1887, five Mormon men from southeastern Idaho, convicted of plural marriage, were sent to the United States Penitentiary at Sioux Falls, Dakota Territory, probably because the territorial penitentiary in Boise was overcrowded. They were the first Mormon men from Idaho sent to another territory to serve their time, and no doubt felt that they were martyrs to their religious beliefs,” a 2015 Idaho Statesman article reports.
This led to a rising anti-Mormon sentiment among the general population.
Dubois and others adamantly attached the Test Oath to the new Constitution. Shoup avoided any personal involvement in the issue, according to Peterson.
Shoup issued a proclamation on Oct. 5, 1889 calling for a November 5 election to ratify the Constitution. Voters ratified it 7 to 1.
“Shoup signed the document and it was forwarded to Washington,” Peterson writes.
It passed the House of Representatives in April 1890 and the Senate in June.
Dubois paid a visit to President Harrison at the White House on July 3, 1890. Harrison hadn’t yet signed the statehood bill and Dubois wanted it to be signed on July 4 so Idaho could celebrate its birthday on Independence Day.
President Benjamin Harrison | Courtesy Wikipedia
Harrison explained stars were added to the flag on July 4 for all states admitted in the previous year. If he signed then, Idaho wouldn’t get its star on the flag until 1891.
Despite overwhelming support for a July 4 signing, Dubois reversed course.
“The responsibility is all mine and I ask you to sign the bill now. I want the star of Idaho on the flag tomorrow,” Dubois responded, according to the Idaho Statesman.
“I think you have chosen well,” Harrison told him.
After signing the bill, Harrison presented the 39-year-old delegate with the gold pen and a holder, saying, “There is no honor which can come to a young man greater than that of bringing your state into the Union.”
The LDS Church abolished polygamy that same year. The anti-Mormon clause was later appealed and ultimately upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Idaho Legislature removed the restrictions against church members in 1893, but the constitutional provision remained on the books until 1982.
A territorial governor’s role in Idaho’s creation
Twenty-seven years earlier, on March 4, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln created the Idaho Territory as America was at the height of the Civil War.
At the time of its creation, the territory “sprawled across an area one-quarter larger than Texas,” as reported on the state’s website, encompassing all of present day Idaho, Montana and most of Wyoming. Lincoln’s close friend, William Wallace, whom he appointed to serve as Idaho’s first territorial governor, came up with the design.
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It was President Grover Cleveland who appointed Edward Stevenson to serve as Idaho’s first and only Democratic territorial governor in 1885. Stevenson was also the first Idaho citizen to serve as governor.
A native of New York, Stevenson lived in Michigan before heading west with the California gold rush in 1849. He was active in state politics, serving in multiple positions, including four terms in the state legislature. He settled in the Boise Basin in 1863.
A 2016 Idaho Falls Magazine article calls Stevenson “Idaho’s best territorial governor” because of his non-partisan and moderate approach to controversial issues, including the anti-Mormon legislation. It isn’t clear where he stood on the issue.
He is best remembered for preventing a measure that would’ve placed the northern part of the territory in Washington and the rest in Nevada.
Stevenson strongly objected to this move and requested an audience in Washington to be heard on the matter.
“He was denied the trip, but gained his point,” Robert Sims and Hope Benedict write in “Idaho’s Governors.” “Cleveland wanted to discourage absence of territorial governors from their posts of duty, and Stevenson was promised that if he would only stay home, the bill would not be signed.”
Cleveland’s prediction proved correct. Congress refused the plan in its next session and Governor Stevenson “took personal credit for having saved Idaho.”
He went on to be a huge supporter of Idaho’s application for statehood. Though he was replaced as governor after Benjamin Harrison took office, he continued to “work vigorously” to that end.
Though he was unsuccessful in a second bid for governor in 1894, he is regarded today as “one of Idaho’s most influential pioneers.”
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BOISE, Idaho — A Boise neighbor said she trapped the largest rat she has ever seen in her backyard, and a local pest control expert said he has already responded to multiple Treasure Valley homes this year to remove the rodents. As sightings increase, Idaho lawmakers are also taking action.
Britni Killeen, who grew up on a farm in East Idaho, said nothing could have prepared her for what she found in her West Boise backyard.
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“I’m a 5th-generation Idahoan, and I’ve never seen something that big,” Killeen said.
Killeen believes the rats may be swimming through the Hyatt Hidden Lakes Reserve and making their way into nearby neighborhoods.
“We live next door to the refuge, and if you have a gap between your fence, which we do, it’s about 3 ft, they come into your yard, and they can go under fences,” explained Killeen.
Alpha Home Pest Control has served the Treasure Valley for over 10 years. Owner Mike Hill said he has been receiving weekly calls about rat sightings. While some turn out to be false alarms, he has already visited seven Treasure Valley homes this year to remove rats. Hill said many of them may be arriving from out of state and staying because of the mild weather conditions.
“Washington, California, the shipping, the freight coming back and forth, they’re kind of stowaways,” Hill said. “Then with the mild winters that we’ve been having, [it] hasn’t really been killing them off.”
RELATED | ‘It was like an explosion of rats’: Neighbors report rise in pests
Hill said Norway and Roof rats can pose serious risks to both health and property.
“They carry disease, they carry fleas, ticks, they can chew through your wiring in your home,” Hill said. “Their teeth grow very rapidly, so there have been cases where they’re up there chewing on wires, [and] the house burns down.”
If you spot a rat, Hill recommends calling a professional to ensure there are not more hiding nearby. He also offered several prevention tips.
“The droppings of the fruit, excess fruit, keep that stuff picked up. Make sure that your trash is enclosed in either a hard plastic or metal container,” Hill said.
RELATED| Rodents of Unusual Size Act advances to House after 28-3 Senate vote
As rat sightings increase across the Treasure Valley, lawmakers are taking notice. On Thursday, the Idaho Senate passed the Rodents of Unusual Size Act, which would declare Norway and roof rats a public health and safety nuisance and requires the state to take action to control and remove them. That bill now heads to the House.
Killeen said the legislation is a step in the right direction.
“Considering how big that rat is, I would definitely say so,” Killeen said. “I didn’t even know that big of rats could exist in Idaho, but maybe I’m just rural.”
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
BOISE, Idaho — Idaho lawmakers have introduced legislation that would phase out state funding for the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs while keeping the commission in place.
The proposal, introduced by Rep. Jeff Ehlers, would gradually eliminate general fund support for the commission by July 1, 2028. The commission would continue to operate but would need to rely on private funding.
Rep. Ehlers told the House Revenue and Taxation Committee on Thursday that the proposal came from recommendations by Idaho’s DOGE Task Force, which reviewed government programs and spending.
READ MORE | Idaho DOGE Task Force recommends defunding Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs
The bill would also eliminate the commission from a list of organizations eligible for a state income tax charitable contribution credit.
Rep. Steve Berch questioned why the legislation would remove both state funding and the tax credit option, saying it could make it more difficult for the commission to raise money.
“I hate to use this word, but I’m really offended by this specific effort to make it that much more difficult for private citizens to be able to contribute to the Hispanic commission,” Rep. Berch said in committee. “I don’t think this can be justified from a financial point of view, and quite frankly, I don’t think it can be justified from a moral point of view.”
In response, Rep. Jason Monks said that it would be more “offensive” to not allow further discussion of the bill before a final decision is made.
The proposal comes after an earlier attempt this session to eliminate the commission entirely. In January, Rep. Heather Scott presented a draft bill that would have removed all references to the commission from Idaho law and dissolved it by July 1, but that measure failed to advance out of committee.
The committee ultimately voted on Thursday to introduce the legislation, allowing it to be printed and advanced for further debate.
This story has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Shanea Fulks is the owner of Seven Sisters Closet Revival, a new consignment store at 260 South Woodruff in Idaho Falls. Take a look inside in the video above. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com
Do you want to know what’s happening in the eastern Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.
BIZ BUZZ
IDAHO FALLS
New consignment shop in Idaho Falls offers vintage clothes for customers and booth space for sellers
IDAHO FALLS – Curating vintage clothing is Shanea Fulks’s passion, and she’s sharing it with the community through a new business venture.
Seven Sisters Closet Revival opens Saturday at 260 South Woodruff inside Parkwood Plaza in Idaho Falls. It offers racks of vintage clothes for customers and booth space for others to sell their items.
“You get a rack with shelves, and you can come in throughout the week and sell things,” Fulks tells EastIdahoNews.com. “The things you’ll see in the middle of the store are pieces that I have curated. I hand-pick all the things I bring to the store.”
See some of the items in the video above.
Fulks says she’s had multiple people walk in already who are excited about the shop.
The store will have a grand opening this weekend. Fulks is partnering with the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce for a ribbon-cutting and open house at noon on Friday. A local band will be performing during the event.
Then on Saturday, a grand opening celebration will begin at 2 p.m. Several vendors and live entertainment will be available. Fulks says she’s looking forward to interacting with the community.
Fulks has been selling items from her personal collection online for years. After helping a mother and daughter find a formal dress during an interaction at another shop in town several years ago, Fulks says she realized there was a need for a store like this.
After about a year of working with real estate agents, Fulks says the Parkwood Plaza space formerly occupied by a beauty salon called Blush became available, and it was an ideal fit.
“It’s just been a whirlwind and we’re just trying to get it going,” says Fulks.
Fulks’ interest in fashion stems back to childhood. She lost her dad and stepdad to suicide at a young age and grew up in a household that struggled to make ends meet. As a result, she says they bought clothes at Goodwill and other secondhand stores.
She remembers being made fun of because of the clothes she wore. In time, she learned to embrace her uniqueness and developed an interest in vintage clothes.
“I’ve just always been attracted to old sweaters, military jackets (her dad served in Vietnam),” Fulks says. “I like to help people feel confident wearing something unique, even if it’s not trendy. Be bold and wear whatever you want.”
The idea of making the most of your circumstances and embracing who you are is inspired by her experience with suicide, and it’s reflected in the art that’s on display in her store.
“Part of the theme in my store is ‘Stay. We need you,’” she says.
The business name refers to her family. She comes from a blended family of six girls and four boys. When she and her husband were married, they had a daughter — the seventh sister.
Fulks says she’s looking forward to offering great deals to customers. She has two sons with autism who love art, and she wants to host art-themed events for people with special needs. She’d also like to host tea parties and other events in the future.
“I want people to come and feel like they belong,” she says. “I’m going to allow people to do karaoke. When you’re here, I want you to feel like you can have fun.”
Seven Sisters Closet Revival will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…
Women’s-only gym offers ‘unintimidating and beginner-friendly’ atmosphere
New surgeon at Idaho Falls clinic does oral, jaw and facial work
Elsie’s Closet in downtown Idaho Falls is a ‘whole vibe’ and tells a story
Pocatello-based transportation company acquires competitor Yellowstone Transportation
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