Inland Northwest

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The Inland Northwest (INW) is a 476,550 square mile, five state region of the United States consisting of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The largest city in the region is beautiful Boise, Idaho. Boise is also the capital of the most populated state in the region, giving Boise abundant might and power!

History

The Inland Northwest was, with the exception of a small piece of Wyoming and an additional sliver of Nebraska, the area occupied by the Idaho Territory (1863) and the Dakota Territory (1861). Their areas overlap, further solidifying the two territories into what is now known as the Inland Northwest.

Population Figures

Other INW cities bow to the might of Boise!

Population Figures (2010 Census)

Largest City in State	City Population	State Population	Comments
Fargo, North Dakota	105,549	672,591	Fargo isn't even the state capital. Weak!!!!
Sioux Falls, South Dakota	153,888	814,180	Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County. Whoa! County capital! Smaller than Boise! I'm soooo impressed!
Cheyenne, Wyoming	59,466	563,626	Cheyenne is at least the capital... ..of the state ranked 50th in population! Yaaaawn.
Thrillings, Montana	104,170	989,415	Despite the greatest known city name, Thrillings (formerly known as Billings) comes up short.
Boise, Idaho	205,671	1,567,582	The numbers show it all! Boise rules!

Boise, Idaho: King of the Inland Northwest

Boise rules the Inland Northwest! The facts are clear.

• Boise is the largest city in the INW.
• Boise is the capital city of the most populated state in the INW.
• Boise has the Boise State University Broncos! Go Big Blue!!!

Inland Northwest Sesquicentennial

Oh crap! Do you know what that means? 150 years of the Inland Northwest! When the Idaho Territory was formed in 1863, the Inland Northwest was created.

Here are the highlight events of the first 150 years throughout the INW.

1862-1889

• 1863: The INW is formed.
  • The Idaho Territory is formed, which, along with the now smaller Dakota Territory, creates the INW. The shift of power towards Boise has begun.
  • Boise is incorporated, one year after being formed. Kick ass!
  • The Idaho Territory capital is mistakenly placed way up north in Lewiston, Idaho. Oops.
• 1865: The Idaho Territorial capital is officially moved to Boise. Problem solved! In the process, Boise shows early signs of vigor.
• 1886: Idaho's Territorial capitol building is completed. It's a neat building, but not worthy of the awesomeness that is Boise.

1890-1919

• 1890: Idaho becomes the 43rd state in the union. Boise becomes a state capital.
• 1919: Construction of a new capitol building worthy of Boise begins.

1920-1949

• 1920: The Idaho state capitol building is completed. The structure is beautiful and worthy.
• 1926: Varney Air Lines is founded, and uses an airport which stood at the present location of Boise State. This was the first sign of the might to be seen on the south bank of the beautiful Boise River. At the time, Boise, a remote town of less than 22,000 people, gave birth to what became United Airlines. Quite impressive.
• 1932: Boise State University is founded as Boise Junior College.
• 1933: The first year of the Boise Junior College football program.

The 1950s

• 1958: Boise State Junior College becomes the national junior college football champions. Hell yeah!

The 1960s

• 1963: The tallest structure in the world, the KTHI-TV mast, is completed in Blanchard, North Dakota.
• Though Boise is the largest city in Idaho in 1960, the largest cities in the other INW states are sadly all larger than Boise. However, Boise is growing like a mofo throughout the 60s and by the 1970 census, the problem is fixed as Billings, Cheyenne, Fargo, and Sioux Falls are all surpassed by Boise. Boom!

The 1970s

• 1970: After overcoming all of the cities of the INW in size, Boise is largest city in the region with the tallest structure in the world.
• 1970: Boise State joins NCAA Division II.
• 1974: The Warsaw radio mast is built and becomes the tallest structure in the world. Slacker North Dakota doesn't add on to regain the crown for the INW. Confident Boise doesn't waste resources to build a taller mast, and instead waits for the inevitable.
• 1978: Boise State moves to NCAA Division I-AA.
• The percentage of growth for Boise between 1970 and 1980 shames the largest cities in other INW cities. Boise has grown 36.4% since 1970, whereas Billings, it's nearest growth competitor in the INW, has only grown 16.5%. Boise grows at over twice the rate of other cities and laps the rest of the INW!

The 1980s

• 1980: Boise State wins the Division I-AA National Championship!
• 1986: The blue football field is installed at Broncos Stadium at Boise State. Rumors begin about ducks crashing on the fine blue turf, mistaking it for the nearby picturesque Boise River.

The 1990s

• 1991: The Warsaw radio mast suffers catastrophic failure. Ha ha ha ha! Seriously, the thing snapped in half during maintenance! The INW once again has the tallest structure in the world. Patience is a virtue!
• Boise again grows at over double the rate of the next highest performer in the INW. With a growth percentage of 47.8% from 1990 to 2000, Sioux Falls is the next closest (23%) but can't even come close and like the rest of the INW gets lapped by Boise. Again.

The 2000s

• 2008: Boise area resident Kristen Armstrong wins Olympic cycling gold! Like other University of Idaho students such as Packers football great Jerry Kramer, Kristin Armstrong didn't have a high level of athletic success while attending U of I because even the greats can't win while at that place. She then moved away, started training in the foothills north of Boise, and the rest is history.
• 2007: Boise State wins the 2007 Fiesta Bowl!
• 2009: The Oregon Ducks get demolished on the blue turf at Boise State. Turns out the rumors are true, Ducks really do crash on the blue.

The 2010s

• 2011: The Boise State senior class play their last football game, ending with yet another win. Their total of 50 wins over four years is a first in FBS history. Equally impressive is that the three games that were lost had a combined point differential of -5 points. Make no mistake, BOISE STATE RULES!!!
• 2012: Still training in the Boise area, Armstrong wins her second Olympic cycling gold! Boise U-S-A! Boise U-S-A! Boise U-S-A!
• 2013: The INW turns 150 years old. The region has the tallest guyed mast in the world, Yellowstone National Park, and most importantly, Boise. The city of Boise is still the largest city in the region, the capital of Idaho, home of the great Boise State Broncos football team, and beaming with the abundant might and power that comes from being the "King of the Inland Northwest". Boise grows in greatness with every passing year, as does the INW, but Boise takes it to the next level by completely ruling like no town ever! Best of all, the future only looks brighter for Boise, the greatest city in the history of man.
• 2014: Boise State football wins a third Fiesta Bowl. The game had a new official sponsor, but make no mistake, with three wins in less than 10 years, this bowl game is owned by Boise State. Also, the Eighth & Main building in downtown Boise is completed, and is the tallest building in the region.
• 2016: Kristen Armstrong wins another Olympic gold medal. Leaving U of I for Boise pays off. Again.

References

• Idaho Territory 1863
• Dakota Territory 1861