America250 in Idaho

159 years later, it all still starts here.

Idaho’s Initial Point, established in 1867 by Surveyor General Lafayette Cartee and his crews, became the reference point for every legal land description in the state. One mark on a volcanic butte helped shape how Idaho’s land, communities, and future took form.

Don’t miss your chance to experience it in person.

Join us Saturday, May 2, 2026, from 12–5 pm at the Old Idaho Penitentiary for the Boise Meridian Initial Point Celebration: Surveying the Past, Mapping the Future.

Enjoy hands-on surveying demos, engaging talks, food vendors, and family-friendly activities. Discover how this single point connects Idaho’s past to the larger story of America250.

Admission: Adults $8 | Seniors $6 | Kids $5 | Members free | Under 6 free
Additional discounts available.

On this day, 159 years ago, surveyors working under General Lafayette Cartee, Idaho’s first Surveyor General, established Idaho’s Initial Point on a volcanic butte south of Boise. That single spot became the reference point for every legal land description in Idaho! We invite you to discover the story behind Idaho's initial point at the Boise Meridian Initial Point Celebration: Surveying the Past, Mapping the Future.

Join us Saturday, May 2, 2026, from 12-5 pm, at the Old Idaho Penitentiary for hands-on surveying demos, engaging talks, food, and family-friendly activities.

Learn how one point south of Boise helped shape land ownership, communities, and growth across the state, and how it connects to the ideals behind America250.

Admission: Adults $8 | Seniors $6 | Kids $5 | Members free | Under 6 free
Additional discounts available.

One of the most striking artifacts in the Idaho Statehouse is Charles Ostner’s George Washington Equestrian Statue. An Austrian immigrant, Ostner first sculpted Washington in ice during the 1860s while living in a Florence mining camp. After settling in the Treasure Valley, he carved the final statue from a single ponderosa pine using only an adze and pocketknife. It took four years to complete. He gifted the piece to Idaho Territory in 1869 as a tribute to the liberty he found in his adopted home.

As we approach America250, this statue stands as a powerful reminder of the nation’s founding ideals and the people who carried them west. Preserved and restored over generations, it reflects Idaho’s role in the American story and the responsibility we share to carry that legacy forward.

Photos:
Charles Ostner stands beside the George Washington Equestrian Statue in front of Idaho’s Territorial Capitol, c. 1895 , Idaho State Archives, 74-155-0

George Washington Equestrian Statue, 2021, photo by Tana Ruud

Move250 is your invitation to celebrate America’s 250th—Idaho style.

In 2026, challenge yourself to move 250 miles while exploring the places that make the Gem State unforgettable. Walk it, hike it, bike it, paddle it, ride it, or drive Idaho’s scenic byways—however you move, it counts.

Led by IDPR, ITD, ISHS, and Visit Idaho, this statewide challenge lets you track your miles, hit milestones, and be part of something bigger as we celebrate America250 together.

Ready to get moving? Start tracking at america250.idaho.gov/move250 🚶‍♀️

Idaho was honored to be part of a journey that spans the nation and connects us all.

On March 27, Idaho welcomed the Flag Sojourn 250 at the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, receiving the flag from Wyoming and passing it on to Oregon as part of this nationwide tribute.

As America approaches its Semiquincentennial on July 4, 2026, the Flag Sojourn 250 carries a single U.S. flag across the globe and back home again. What began on Flag Day 2025 has become something greater than a journey. It is a solemn tribute to service, sacrifice, and the ideals that unite us.

This flag has traveled to U.S. military cemeteries around the world, honoring those who gave their lives, before returning to American soil for a cross-country passage that will end in Washington, D.C. in July 2026.

Idaho’s moment in this national story reflects the same spirit we carry forward through America250 in Idaho. One Idaho. One America.

Follow the flag. Honor the sojourn.

As word of the British attacks on Lexington and Concord in April 1775 spread throughout the colonies, many Americans felt called to defend their rights and liberties and began marching toward Boston. Rallying under the command of newly appointed General George Washington, these militia troops soon entrenched themselves in the hills surrounding the city, from which they could observe and fire on the British garrison. For the next eleven months, the newly created Continental Army laid siege to the city, building fortifications and preparing for a British attack, which never came. After the arrival of Henry Knox’s artillery in early 1776, the Continental Army gained the upper hand over the British, building up a force of several thousand troops and dozens of cannons on Dorchester Heights above the city. After the overnight appearance of these installations, British commander William Howe decided an attack on the hills was not worth the potential cost. On March 17th, 1776, the British troops and loyalists in the city evacuated by sea, allowing Washington’s army to take control of the area. This major victory gave Americans confidence that they could successfully take on one of the world’s most powerful militaries, and the spring and summer of 1776 were charged with patriotism and excitement about the rebellion.

Photo: The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. "The evacuation of Boston" The New York Public Library Digital Collections.

The America250 in Idaho calendar is filling up with celebratory events across the state! Visit america250.idaho.gov to see what's coming up in your community!

During the Great Depression, millions of Americans found themselves out of work and struggling to make ends meet. President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal program was created to help relieve these conditions, and it eventually reshaped the lives of vast numbers of Americans. One program that had an especially large impact on Idaho was the Civilian Conservation Corps, created in 1933 to provide work opportunities for millions of unemployed young men. Idaho’s twenty thousand “CCC Boys” managed timber, built roads, campgrounds, and worked on various other projects in rural parts of the state. Almost a century later, results of the program can be seen throughout Idaho’s state parks and national forests in the form of trails, roads, restrooms, and more, allowing for continued public enjoyment of Idaho’s natural beauty and recreation opportunities. Next time you visit one of these sites, look around for some of this evidence of CCC work!

Photo: MS683CCCBox5Folder22, Idaho State Archives