Of Idaho Note
Idaho may be thousands of miles from Washington, D.C., but Idahoans still make an impact in the nation's capital. This listing gives you some sites where Idaho has had an impact.
Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC |
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Twice in its history, the Department of the Interior has been headed by an Idahoan. From 1977 to 1981, former Idaho Governor Cecil Andrus ran the Department under the Carter administration. Presently it is run by former Idaho Governor and U.S. Senator Dirk Kempthorne, who was appointed by George W. Bush in 2006. | ||
Idaho Avenue, NW, Washington, DC | ||
Off Massachusetts Avenue in the northwest section of Washington, DC, you will find Idaho Avenue. When Pierre Charles L'Enfant designed Washington, DC, in the early 1790s, he wanted to create sections of the city that would appeal to various states and countries. Since Idaho didn't become a state for more than one hundred years after the design was implemented, Idaho Avenue is a relatively short street, which crosses both Massachusetts Avenue and Wisconsin Avenue. | ||
Idaho statues in the U.S. Capitol | ||
Each state is allowed two statues to display in the U.S. Capitol. Idaho's contributions are George L. Shoup and William Borah.
The statue of Shoup is in Statuary Hall; he served as territorrial governor of Idaho prior to statehood and was elected the state's first Governor. He was then elected as Idaho's first Senator.
The statue of Borah is located on second floor of the U.S. Capitol outside the Senate central entrance. William E. Borah, "The Lion of Idaho," was the longest-serving Senator from Idaho, elected in 1907 to the U.S. Senate. He passed away while serving in office in 1940.
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"North America" statue "Washington's Farewell to his Generals" relief Organization of American States (OAS) Building Constitution Avenue and 17th Street, NW , Washington, DC |
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These two works, located at the Organization of American States building, were created by Gutzon Borglum, an Idaho native born in Bear Lake County. Borglum's most well-known work is Mount Rushmore in South Dakota's Black Hills, which features four U.S. Presidents (Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt). | ||
Philip H. Sheridan statue |
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Borglum also sculptured this 1908 equestrian statue, which honors Philip H. Sheridan, a Union general in the Civil War. He was a close confidant of Ulysses S. Grant. | ||