The State of Lincoln?

 

We in Eastern Washington were almost in the state of Lincoln. A Spokane proposal in 1907 called for a new state, Lincoln, to be created from eastern Washington, northeastern Oregon and Northern Idaho. Are we sad or glad this apparently never happened???

The good folks of Eastern Oregon were frustrated with being coupled with Portland. The citizens of north Idaho felt they had nothing in common with their capitol, Boise, or the entire southern half of the state. And many of those in Eastern Washington know themselves to be Republicans but Washington always seems to fall to the Democrats in elections due to the "Cascade Divide" of our state. 

How come this didn't happen nor likely never will? Wikipedia gives the answer: "Multiple senators at the time objected to naming a territory after a single man, acknowledging Washington Territory (named in 1853 for George Washington) as the sole exception." 

Put this factoid in your trivia folder for when you get invited to be a contestant on Jeopardy.