IDAHO
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Idaho was one of the last areas in the lower 48 states of
the US to be explored by people of European descent. The Lewis and Clark expedition
entered present-day Idaho on August 12, 1805, at Lemhi Pass. It is believed
that the first expedition of Europeans to enter southern Idaho was by a group
led in 1811 and 1812 by Wilson Price Hunt, which navigated the Snake River while
attempting to blaze an all-water trail westward from St. Louis, Missouri, to Astoria,
Oregon. At that time, approximately 8,000 Native Americans lived in the
region. Andrew Henry of the Missouri Fur Company first entered the Snake River plateau in 1810. He built Fort Henry on Henry’s Fork on the upper Snake River, near modern St. Anthony, Idaho. However, this first American fur post west of the Rocky Mountains was abandoned the following spring. The British-owned Hudson's Bay Company next entered Idaho and controlled the trade in the Snake River area by the 1820s. The North West Company's interior department of the Columbia was created in June 1816, and Donald Mackenzie was assigned as its head. Mackenzie had previously been employed by Hudson's Bay and had been a partner in the Pacific Fur Company, financed principally by John Jacob Astor. Despite their efforts, early American fur companies in
this region had difficulty maintaining the long-distance supply lines from
the Missouri River system into the Intermountain West. However, the Americans
William H. Ashley and Jedediah Smith expanded the Saint Louis fur trade into
Idaho in 1824. During this time, the region which became Idaho was part
of an unorganized territory known as Oregon Country, claimed by both the
United States and Great Britain. The United States gained undisputed
jurisdiction over the region in the Oregon Treaty of 1846, although the area
was under the de facto jurisdiction of the Provisional Government of Oregon from
1843 to 1849. The original boundaries of Oregon Territory in 1848 included all three of the present-day Pacific Northwest states and
extended eastward to the Continental
Divide. In 1853, areas north of the 46th Parallel became
Washington Territory, splitting what is now Idaho in two. The future state
was reunited in 1859 after Oregon became a state and the boundaries of
Washington Territory were redrawn. The territory of Idaho was officially organized on March
3, 1863, by Act of Congress. It existed from March 3, 1863, until July 3,
1890, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as Idaho. |
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Coat of
Arms 1863 |
Seal 1863 |
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No official record remains of the adoption of the first Great Seal of Idaho when it became a territory in 1863. The design is attributed to Silas D. Cochran, a clerk in the office of the Secretary of State. The arms on the seal are derived from the arms of the State of Oregon from which they differ on minor points. They are: Arms: Per fess,
the first a landscape with mountains in the distanceover which a sun rises, and
a covered wagon drawn by four horses, riding to the
dexter, in front of it a rider; the second a field with a plow and a sheaf of
grain, all proper. Between the the chief and the base a ribbon inscribed THE UNION. Crest: The
American eagle with arrows and branches of olive, hovering, proper Exterior decoration: 30
five-pointed stars Or |
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Seal of the Territory of Idaho, 15.03.1866 |
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The territorial seal of Idaho was adopted on the 15th of March 1866, and is described as follows: “
Shield. Aview of the Shoshone River, with the mountains of Owyhee at the
left; and a distant view of the mountains of Pannock and Bannock on the
right, with a new moon in the sky, and a steamer on the river. Supporters.
Liberty with her sword at the right, and Peace with her palm branch on the
left. Crest.
An elk’s head to the neck, with full antlers. Motto.
“Salve”. (Welcome) to the miner, to the farmer, to the merchant). Around
the seal is the legend SEAL
OF THE TERRITORY OF IDAHO.’”[1] |
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Achievement of the State of Idaho, A
farmer and a miner added. On a print, 1904 |
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The State seal of the State of Idaho, adopted March 14, 1891, by the
First State Legislature of Idaho, was designed by Miss Emma Edwards, of Stockton,
California, a daughter of Hon. John C. Edwards, a pioneer of San Joaquin
County, California, and formerly Governor of the State of Missouri. [2] The law says that “the design drawn and executed by Miss Emma
Edwards, of Boise City, and reported and recommended by the select joint
committee to devise a great seal for the state with the Latin motto ‘Esto
Perpetua,’ be adopted, and is hereby made the great seal of the State of
Idaho.”[3] Miss Edwards’ description of the design is as follows: “’The question of Woman Suffrage was being agitated somewhat, and as
leading men and politicians agreed that Idaho would eventuall give women the right to vote, and
as mining was the chief industry, and the mining man the largest financial
factor of the state at the time, I made the figure of the man the most
prominent figure in the design, while that of the woman, signifying justice,
as denoted by the scales, liberty, as denoted by the liberty cap on the end
of the spear, and equality with man as denoted by her position at his side,
also signifies freedom. The pick and shovel held by the miner, and the ledge
of rock beside which he stands, as well as the pieces of ore scattered about
his feet, all indicate the chief occupation of the
State. The stamp mille in the distance, which you can see by using [a]
magnifying glass, is also typical of the mining interests of Idaho. The
shield between the man and woman is emblematic of the protection they unite
in giving the State. The large fir or pine tree in the foreground in the
shield refers to Idaho’s immense timber interests. The husbandmanplowing on
the left side of the shield, together with te sheaf of grain beneath the
shield, are emblematic of Idaho’s agricultural resources, while the
cornucopias, or horns of plenty, refer to the horticultural. Idaho has a game
law, whicj protects the elk and moose. The elk’s head, therefore rises above
the shield. The State flower, the wild syringa or
mock orange, grows at the woman’s feet, while the ripenen wheat grown as high
as her shoulder. The state signifies a new light in the galaxy of states. The
translation of the Latin motto is, ‘It is perpetuated.’ or, ‘It is forever.’
The river depicted in the shield is out mighty Snake or Shoshoe river, a
stream of great majesty.’” [4] Ć See representation
of this achievement in the head of this article |
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The Motto The State motto of Idaho, Esto Perpetua, meaning
Mayest thou endure forever!, is “the supposed dying apastrophe of Pietro
Sarpi (Fra Paolo) in speaking of his beloved Venice.” [5] Miss Emma Edwards of Boise [now] Mrs. Emma Edwards-Greene,
who designed the State seal, says that the words Esto Perpetua “’breathe the prayer that the bounty and blessing of this land
may forever benefit its people.’”[6] |
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Seal of the State of Idaho, 14.03.1891 Coloured
version |
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Crest |
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Description That for the regiments and separate battalions of the Idaho Army National Guard: From a wreath of colors, an elk's head caboshed Proper. Symbolism The elk's head with full antlers is the crest which appeared on the first territorial seal of Idaho adopted on 5 March 1866. Background The crest was approved for color bearing organizations of the State of Idaho on 31 December 1923 |
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Distinctive Unit Insignia |
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Description A gold color metal and enamel device 1 3/16 inches (3.02 cm) in height overall consisting of, at top a gold demi-sun between two blue snow-capped (white) mountain peaks bearing at the center a white elk's head and neck (front view) with antlers extending out in front of two green pine trees, one on each side, below the elk's head and between the trees a gold area charged with a stylized white syringa blossom, in base three wavy bars (blue, white, blue) all above a gold semi-circular scroll folded back at each end and inscribed "PROFESSIONAL FIRST" in blue letters. Symbolism The elk's head was suggested by the Idaho Army National Guard's shoulder sleeve insignia. The pines symbolize Idaho's state tree (White Pine) and also allude to Boise, the capitol, known as the "The City of Trees." The sun and mountain peaks refer to the scenic Rocky Mountains and the vast mining industry in the state. The blossom on the gold background symbolizes the syringa (Idaho's state flower), and the plateaus of the southwestern part of the state, while the wavy bars in base allude to the many rivers and waterways of Idaho. Background The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment and noncolor bearing units of the Idaho Army National Guard on 19 March 1971. The insignia was redesignated and amended to update the symbolism, effective 1 October 1982, for Headquarters, State Area Command, Idaho Army National Guard. |
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Shoulder Sleeve Insignia |
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Description On a blue (ultramarine) shield 3 inches (7.62 cm) in width and 2 15/16 (7.56 cm) in height overall, a gold elk shaded and detailed gold brown, facing to the front with head turned slightly to the right, couped at the shoulder issuing from a wreath of six twists alternating yellow and blue (grotto) all within a 1/8 inch (.32 cm) yellow border. Symbolism The elk's head to the neck with full antlers is the crest which appeared on the first territorial seal of Idaho adopted on 5 March 1866. Idaho is a part of the "Oregon Territory" whose American title was established in 1846. As the territory is purely American, the twists of the wreath are white and blue. Background The shoulder sleeve insignia was originally approved for Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, Idaho Army National Guard on 28 July 1975. It was redesignated with description amended for Headquarters, State Area Command, Idaho Army National Guard on 30 December 1983. (TIOH Dwg. No. A-1-586) |
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Seal |
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Coat of
Arms |
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Flag with coat
of arms
Seal |
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Shoshone-Bannock
Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation of Idaho |
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Seal |
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© Hubert de Vries 2017-02-12
Heraldry of the World