Idaho
Historian says Lincoln won Civil War with the 'idea of Idaho,' and early governor might have prevented assassination – East Idaho News
IDAHO FALLS – Abraham Lincoln said goodbye to his friend for the last time as they left the meeting that afternoon.
It was Friday, April 14, 1865. America’s 16th president was 42 days into his second term and would be shot later that night while attending a play with his wife at Ford’s Theatre.
It had been two years since Lincoln had signed the bill that made Idaho a territory. His friend, William Wallace, whom he’d appointed its governor, declined an invitation to accompany him to the theater that night before they parted ways.
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David Leroy — a Lincoln historian who spoke at the Museum of Idaho Wednesday night in celebration of the state’s creation on March 4, 1863 — says Lincoln’s fate might have been different had Wallace decided to attend.
“Maybe he would’ve prevented the assassination,” Leroy tells EastIdahoNews.com.
Lincoln’s ties to the state’s beginnings and his friendship with Wallace is one of numerous connections to Idaho. Though Lincoln never set foot in the Gem State, he actively lobbied for its creation and almost became its governor at one point, though indirectly.
During Wednesday night’s event, Leroy suggested Lincoln developed the “idea of Idaho” throughout his life and left a massive footprint that many Idahoans don’t know about.
Lincoln’s ideas of Idaho
Lincoln’s first connection to Idaho dates back to his youth on the American Frontier.
“He was a farmer’s son, a rail splitter, a man of the soil … in Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois,” Leroy told Wednesday night’s crowd. “He was also a merchant, understanding commerce and its interaction with farming.”
At age 19, Leroy said Lincoln also saw the “abhorrence of slavery.” On a river boat trip to Mississippi and Louisiana, he saw black men and women being auctioned on a city block.
These experiences shaped Lincoln’s world view and resemble values that are important to Idahoans today.
Lincoln’s connection to Idaho became more recognizable years later when Lincoln was first elected to Congress in 1847. The Oregon Territory — which included parts of present-day Idaho, Montana, and Washington — was created the following year after months of heated debate.
“The House of Representatives fought for months (over Oregon’s creation),” Leroy said. “It was contentious because the southern senators wanted to allow the possibility that Oregon Territory could have slaves.”
Lincoln opposed slavery.
President Zachary Taylor, a fellow Whig Party member who sided with Lincoln on the slavery issue, was elected that same year and offered Lincoln a job as the territory’s first governor. Lincoln declined.
“He went home and proudly suggested to Mary (his wife) that he had a singular opportunity to move out West. She said, ‘No way. We’re not going out there,’” Leroy told the crowd. “Think of that! Lincoln could’ve been our governor!”
The debate about slavery in the western territories of the United States continued for years, and came to a head in 1861 when the country was propelled into Civil War. Lincoln publicly expressed his opposition to slavery in a speech printed in the New York Tribune in 1858. His views were so well expressed, Leroy said, that it led to his election as president in 1860 and the creation of Idaho three years later.
Although history records that the Civil War ended in 1865, Leroy believes “Lincoln won the war in 1862 … with the idea of Idaho.”
He cites multiple bills he signed that year as an example. Among them was the Territorial Abolition Act, which abolished slavery in all federal territories of the United States. He also signed the Pacific Railroad Act, authorizing the construction of the transcontinental railroad. This law, Leroy said, connected free states across the country and promoted equal opportunity for everyone.
Lincoln signed the bill that created the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which Leroy said “recognized the importance of farming and what farming would be” in Idaho and the western territories.
That same year, Lincoln signed the Homestead Act, which promoted westward settlement and development of the American frontier. It allowed American citizens to claim land to live on and farm. More than 60,000 Idahoans benefitted from this law.
Another bill, the Morrill Land Grant College Act, gave states federal land to build colleges that taught agriculture. This bill resulted in the founding of the University of Idaho in 1889.
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Idaho’s creation
But Lincoln didn’t just sign bills that aligned with Idaho values. He actively lobbied for its creation.
On March 3, 1863, Leroy says Lincoln stayed up all night urging Congress to vote in favor of Idaho becoming a territory.
“The bill was due to expire at midnight on March 3, 1863. Lincoln remained at the capitol in the President’s Room off the floor of the Senate and helped lobby it through the Senate and the House,” Leroy says. “He stayed in the capitol building until it was … on the roll.”
Around 4 a.m. the next morning, Lincoln likely approached the legislation with a sense of satisfaction as he read these words.
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“Providing that slavery is prohibited in said territory, by act of Congress…,” the bill said, according to Leroy.
With the stroke of a pen, Lincoln then signed the bill into law.
Lincoln’s friendship with Gov. Wallace
Lincoln’s friendship with William Wallace is one of the most noteworthy connections to Idaho.
In a conversation with EastIdahoNews.com, Leroy says the two met around 1840 when Wallace was a young attorney in Indiana. Both men were members of the Whig Party and Wallace introduced Lincoln —- then an Illinois state legislator —- who was speaking at a rally for presidential candidate William Henry Harrison.
“Wallace introduced Lincoln in a friendly, jocular way. Their senses of humor connected and over the years, they stayed in touch,” says Leroy.
Wallace later moved to Iowa, where he served as Speaker of the House in the state legislature. After an unsuccessful bid for U.S. Senator, he moved to Washington Territory and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Through letters, Lincoln and Wallace often discussed the politics of the day, including when Lincoln entered the presidential race in 1860.
“When Lincoln was elected, Wallace went to Washington, D.C. to lobby for selection to territorial positions appointed by the president. He was successful,” Leroy explains.
Lincoln appointed Wallace governor of Washington Territory in 1861.
At that time, Washington extended from the Pacific Ocean to modern day Montana and Wyoming. The land that makes up Idaho today was under Wallace’s jurisdiction as governor. Realizing the large size of the geographic area, he became an advocate for breaking it up and Idaho was created on March 4, 1863.
Wallace met with Lincoln the day he was shot to talk about filling a vacancy on the Idaho Supreme Court and in the U.S. Marshal’s Office.
“They talked for a bit, talked about Idaho, talked about the need for these specific offices — and then Lincoln said, ‘Old Idaho, come back on Monday and you shall have the appointments as you wish them,’” Leroy said at Wednesday’s event.
Old Idaho was the nickname Lincoln gave Wallace.
Wallace declined the invitation to attend the play because his wife was sick.
Around 10:20 p.m., a bullet to the back of Lincoln’s head at point-blank range rendered him unconscious. He died the next morning at a boarding house across the street.
“I wonder, at some point during the play, with the Idaho appointments due on Monday being fresh in his mind, whether Lincoln thought just a bit about the idea of Idaho?” Leroy said on Wednesday.
Lincoln may have visited Idaho had he lived
Prior to his visit with Wallace, Leroy said Lincoln took a carriage ride along the Potomac River with his wife. The ending of the Civil War days earlier weighed heavily on his mind and the possibility of a peaceful second term delighted him.
“When we finish the term, I’d like to travel,” Lincoln said, according to Leroy.
Walking the streets where Jesus walked in Jerusalem and going to California after the completion of the transcontinental railroad are two places Lincoln mentioned.
“I theorize that had he made it to California, he may well have come to visit (Idaho),” said Leroy.
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MISSOULA, Mont. — An Idaho Falls angler is back in the Idaho record books after landing a record-setting lake trout at Payette Lake.
Idaho Fish and Game said Dylan Smith caught and released a 43.25-inch lake trout on May 2, setting a new state catch-and-release record for the species. The fish surpassed the previous record of 42 inches.
The catch marks Smith’s second appearance in Idaho’s record books. He previously held the state catch-and-release lake trout record after landing a trophy fish in 2018 before that mark was later broken.
According to Fish and Game, Payette Lake has become one of Idaho’s premier lake trout fisheries thanks to years of management efforts aimed at improving both lake trout and kokanee populations.
Pride Month looks different this June along Boise’s Harrison Boulevard, where a long-standing tradition of hanging Pride flags on lamp posts has been put on hold after a new state law restricted which flags can be flown on government property.
For several years, Pride flags lined lamp posts along Harrison Boulevard in Boise’s North End neighborhood. But Idaho House Bill 561, signed by Gov. Brad Little in March, restricts which flags can be flown on government property, including the City of Boise’s Harrison lamp posts.
In response, a group of neighbors formed Pride North End and launched a distribution effort to help residents show support from their own front yards. The group has been making Pride flags and yard signs available to people who want to display them at home.
“I thought that I would…be a personal example of ‘yes, this is what I do.’ This is what I believe in,” said Edna Schochat, a North End resident.
Pride North End has already distributed more than 900-yard signs and 250 flags. The group’s original donation goal was around $2,000 to order 100 flags and 200 yard signs, but it has exceeded that GoFundMe goal, reaching $10,000 worth of donations.
The group plans to continue holding public flag and sign distributions through the end of the month.
“We cannot just say something without doing something that proves that we mean what we say,” Schochat said.
Pride North End said any leftover funds after materials are distributed will go to local LGBTQ+ nonprofits. A link to the group’s GoFundMe can be found here.
July 1 isn’t just the start of a new fiscal year for Idaho public schools. It’s also the effective date for many new education-related laws.
From mandatory moments of silence to restrictions on taxpayer funding for teachers’ unions, the Legislature enacted a slew of new policies affecting public schools during this year’s session.
Here’s what educators, parents and students should know:
School trustees, administrators and teachers
Here are the new laws that will affect school trustees, administrators and teachers:
Union activities. Public schools can no longer use taxpayer resources to accommodate teachers’ unions — including by giving teachers paid time off for union “activities” or by using payroll systems to deduct union dues.
The list of union “activities” in House Bill 516 is long. Among other things, it includes:
- Supporting or opposing candidates for office
- Influencing legislation
- Promoting union membership
- Participating in the “administration business or internal governance” of a teachers’ union
- Preparing, conducting or attending a union event
- Distributing union communications
- Speaking on the union’s behalf
- Engaging in union negotiations
- Filing a grievance on behalf of the union
A school district can’t give teachers paid time off to participate in these activities, unless the union reimburses the district.
HB 516 was based on a report from the Washington-based Freedom Foundation, an anti-union think tank, which alleged that public schools have spent more than $1 million subsidizing teachers’ unions.
The bill also prohibited districts from:
- Deducting union dues through payroll systems.
- Increasing teacher pay to cover union dues.
- Requiring that teachers meet with the union.
- Sharing employees’ contact information with the union.
- Communicating on the union’s behalf.
Civics instruction. Public schools must now ensure that their civics instruction aligns with a law aimed at cultivating the “virtue and knowledge necessary for self-government.”
Senate Bill 1336 codified nearly four pages of requirements for civics instruction. By the time public school students graduate, they must exemplify the virtues of “prudence, justice, fortitude, moderation and patriotism” while understanding the “fundamental principles of the nation’s republican form of government” along with the “history, meaning, significance, and effect of key historical documents.”
Click here to read the list of principles and texts that students must understand.
The bill also required that high school students complete two credits in American history and two credits in American government. These classes must include instruction on the American Revolution and founding along with instruction on the incompatibility of totalitarianism with the principles of American government.
The bill also “encouraged” public schools to display historical portraits of George Washington “in a conspicuous place” in each classroom where civics is taught.
Public charter schools can request an exemption from many of the new requirements. Traditional public schools cannot.
Lastly, the bill pushed back the implementation date for a new civics test that the Idaho Department of Education is writing. The new test will be required in 2027-28, rather than during the upcoming school year.
High-needs funding. Public schools are now eligible to receive up to $100,000 in state funding for “high-needs” special education students.
Senate Bill 1288 set aside $5 million for students who require full-time staff support or specialized equipment. Districts can apply for the state funds to cover students whose individual education program-related costs exceed $30,000 annually.
The state will fully reimburse costs between $30,000 and $80,000. Costs above $80,000 will be reimbursed at 80%, and reimbursement is capped at $100,000. Forty percent of the state funds are reserved for rural schools.
Sexual abuse reporting. School districts are no longer allowed to conduct an internal investigation of abuse in lieu of reporting an incident to law enforcement.
Sen. Tammy Nichols, R-Middleton, proposed the law in response to sexual abuse complaints against Gavin Snow, a former special education assistant in the Boise School District.
Senate Bill 1412, which passed with unanimous support, also requires that school districts ask job applicants for sworn statements disclosing pending or prior investigations, resignations during investigations or disciplinary action stemming from misconduct. An applicant who lies in the disclosure is no longer eligible for the job.
Funding flexibility. Public school districts and charter schools are now eligible for flexibility in how they spend state funds — if they meet performance benchmarks.
To qualify for the “earned autonomy,” districts would have to post high marks on test scores and graduation rates while charters would be graded on academics and financials.
House Bill 883’s sponsors estimated that about 10 districts and 15 charters would qualify.
Parents
Here are the new laws that parents should be aware of:
Social transition reporting. Parents will now have a right to be notified if their child identifies as a different gender at school. Schools could face a six-figure penalty for failing to comply.
House Bill 822 requires that public school officials notify parents within 72 hours if their child requests help with “social transitioning.” This includes when a student asks to go by a different pronoun or use a bathroom or participate on a sports team that doesn’t align with their birth sex.
Sponsored by Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, the law gives parents the right to sue a school or healthcare provider for relief and monetary damages if they aren’t notified within the 72-hour window.
The attorney general can also seek a civil penalty up to $100,000.
Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa
Virtual school policy. Parents of virtual-school students will have new restrictions on money they receive to cover the costs of home learning.
After a state report last year found examples of taxpayer money being misused, lawmakers added limits on “supplemental learning funds.” According to House Bill 624, this money can only be spent on “eligible educational expenses, including:
- Computer hardware, internet access or other devices used to meet a student’s educational needs.
- Textbooks, curricula or other instructional materials, including educational software.
- Fees for standardized tests, advanced placement exams, certificate exams or college admissions exams.
- Therapies, including behavioral, physical, speech-language and audiology therapies, along with other State Board of Education-approved services.
In addition to the rules around supplemental learning funds, HB 624 added reporting requirements for private vendors that contract with virtual schools. Vendors must disclose the costs and services they provide while demonstrating a “clear relationship between the public funds received and the services provided.”
Military preference on charter waitlists. Active-duty military parents could be eligible for preference on charter school waitlists.
Lawmakers passed a bill that allows charter schools to place children from military families third among categories of students given preference on waitlists. It’s up to each charter school whether they implement the change.
Students
Here are the new laws that students should know about:
Moment of silence. Public school students will now have to start each school day with a moment of silence.
They can use the 60 seconds however they want — to reflect, meditate or pray — but they must be silent, and “no other activities shall take place,” according to House Bill 623.
Sponsored by Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, the law requires that a moment of silence occur “at or near the beginning of each school day.” It prohibits teachers from instructing students on the “nature of any reflection” they might engage in.
School leaders also must notify parents about the moment of silence and “encourage” them to “provide guidance” to their children on how to use it, according to the law.
Idaho Launch cuts. Less state aid will be available for students going to college after they graduate in 2027.
For the current fiscal year and next fiscal year starting July 1, state lawmakers — with Gov. Brad Little’s approval — cut $10 million from Idaho Launch. The program offers high school graduates $8,000 to spend on an in-state higher education degree or workforce training certificate.
While the award amounts will remain the same, the state now has $65 million in scholarship money to dole out, compared to $75 million in previous years.
IDLA cuts. Fewer students are eligible to take discounted courses through the state’s online learning platform, the Idaho Digital Learning Alliance (IDLA).
House Bill 940 cut funding for IDLA’s elementary program, limiting the platform to students in grades 6-12. The bill also cut driver’s education, and eliminated state funding for students attending all-virtual schools and non-public schools — although private- and home-schoolers can pay IDLA’s full course fee and seek reimbursement through the Parental Choice Tax Credit.
HB 940 also set new fees for courses that are eligible for state funding. Courses that satisfy a graduation requirement are $40, while courses that don’t meet a graduation requirement are $100.
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