"Mr. James E. Babb, attorney at law, Lewiston, Idaho, has obtained access to a number of old official records having to do with public business in Idaho while it was still a part of Washington Territory… From [the] year of 1859 until Idaho Territory was organized by the act of Congress, March 3, 1863, Washington Territory contained all of its present area and also all of Idaho and the western portions of Montana and Wyoming. Over that vast and thinly populated area the Territorial government emanating from Olympia was undoubtedly feeble."
