Enter William H. Wallace, an Ohio-born lawman with the spirit of the West.
In the 1850’s, this man relocated his entire family to the neighboring Washington territory and immediately warmed to the place, becoming a territorial governor there in 1861. This position made him recognize the potential and the value of western expansion and infrastructure, so he called upon an old friend to organize and structure the territories nearby. President Abraham Lincoln, a close friend of Wallace for over a decade, saw too the value in the Snake River Plain and on
July 3, 1863, he created the Idaho Territory. Lincoln approved so much
of the idea that he thought Wallace would be perfect to helm the
new venture, who in turn, accepted the governor’s position and
immediately made Lewiston the capitol, relocating shortly
thereafter. Although Wallace left for a job in Congress six
months later, his brief service is long lasting. He continued
to live in the area, and he and Lincoln also remained close
friends until his death; Wallace had even turned down an
invitation to accompany the president to Ford’s Theatre
on that fateful April evening.
Story by Conner McAtee