US State Capital History Idaho, Illinois, and Iowa

A Small Frontier Town

The largest city and the capital of Idaho is Boise. It was founded in 1863 as a military fort to protect gold miners traveling on the Oregon Trail. Later on, it was named Fort Boise. The fort was named after the Boise River that runs through the city.

With a population of just a few hundred people, Boise became a small frontier town. As years passed it grew into a regional center for trade and commerce due to its ideal location along the Oregon Trail and the Transcontinental Railroad. Making the city into a transportation hub and convenient for travel and the sending of various goods.

The city became an important center for agriculture, with the surrounding area being used for wheat farming, cattle ranching, and fruit growing. The city was also home to several military installations, including the Boise Barracks, established in 1864. It has become popular with tourists as well.

Today Boise is home to many cultural and educational institutions among them the Boise State University. Visitors also enjoy seeing the Idaho State Capitol Building as well as many other top attractions,

Unbroken Prairie

Springfield was still an unbroken prairie when the state of Illinois entered the Union in 1818. In 1821 the settlement became the seat of Sangamon County and when Abraham Lincoln made it his home through his support the city became the capital in 1837. Later on, visitors came to see the home of Lincoln and the city he once lived in.

In 1852 railroads arrived and when Lincoln became the 16th US President in 1861the population of the city was at 10,000. After the Civil War, the first coal shaft was opened and coal mining became an important industry, Underground coal mining continues today north of Springfield near the town of Williamsville. The prominent coal company is Springfield Coal referred to as the No. 5 Coal which is the major seam mined in the area.

Springfield is the home of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Illinois State Museum, Oliver P. Parks Telephone Museum, and the Lincoln Tomb. Springfield also is the home of the National Cash Register Company where the first mechanical cash registers were invented, dating to 1884.

Rebirth of a City

Fort Des Moines gave its name to the capital of Iowa, Des Moines. The fort was named for the Des Moines River which in French translates to monks or of the monks.

In 1843 Captain James Allen saw the construction of the fort built at the point where the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers merge. The purpose of the fort was to control the Sauk and Meskwaki Indians. When the Indians were removed from the state the fort was abandoned. Visitors can visit the Fort Des Moines Museum to learn all about the history.

Incorporated as a city in 1851 Des Moines became the capital in 1857 and by 1900 it was the largest city in the state. At the turn of the century, Des Moines started the project “City Beautiful” and many big Beaux Arts buildings and fountains were built along the Des Moines River. The fountains were buried in the 1950s. The Des Moines Art Center is a great example of Beaux Arts.

New skyscrapers were built in Des Moines during the 1970s and 1980s significantly changing the skyline. In 2005 the new Science Center of Iowa, the Blank IMAX Dome Theater, and the Iowa Events Center were opened. Both locals and visitors enjoy the Des Moines Riverwalk which has become one of the top attractions in the city. You’ll also find many different parks and attractions around the city,