After looking at Hawaii as the only state that starts with H, the alphabet now moves us forward. Today in the series, the focus is on the letter I, which brings four states into the spotlight. Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa.
Let’s read more about what makes these four states unique.
Idaho
Idaho may not always grab the headlines, but it is one of those places that surprises you once you take a closer look.
Known as the Gem State, it has landscapes that shift from jagged mountain ranges to rolling farmland.
It is a state where the past, the land, and the people all carry stories worth telling.
History
Long before gold prospectors showed up in the 1800s, the Nez Perce, Shoshone-Bannock, and Coeur d’Alene tribes lived on this land and built cultures tied to its rivers and valleys.
Then came the rush for minerals, and Idaho’s early towns grew fast and rough. By 1890, it had become the 43rd state in the Union.
Even with that change, Native communities kept their presence strong, and their traditions remain part of Idaho’s identity today.
Geography
The geography feels like two different states at once.
Central Idaho is defined by sharp peaks like the Sawtooths and rivers like the Snake, which cuts through the land with power and force.
Head south, and you find farmland stretching wide, where potatoes built the state’s reputation, but wheat, dairy, and hops keep the economy just as busy.
Then there is Hells Canyon, deeper than the Grand Canyon, reminding anyone who visits that Idaho’s natural scale is staggering.
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Surprising Facts
- Potatoes may be famous here, but Idaho also grows more trout than any other state.
- Writer Ernest Hemingway lived his final years in Idaho, and his home in Ketchum stands as a reminder of that connection.
- Boise hosts one of the largest Basque communities in America, and its festivals bring old-world traditions into modern life.
- It is among the top 10 happiest states in the US.
Illinois
Illinois often gets tied to Chicago, but the state runs much deeper than one city.
It is farmland, rivers, and small towns stitched together with a history that has shaped the country.
History
The Illiniwek and other tribes lived across the land long before French explorers arrived in the 1600s.
Illinois became a state in 1818. Abraham Lincoln built his career here, and Springfield still carries that legacy.
As the industry took hold, railroads and factories pushed Chicago into becoming one of the busiest cities in America.
Geography
Illinois stretches from the edge of Lake Michigan to farmland that rolls across the center and south.
Chicago rises on the lakefront, while most of the state lives at a slower pace in farming towns and open plains.
Down at the southern tip, where the Mississippi and Ohio rivers meet, the land feels almost like another region of the country altogether.
Surprising Facts
- The first skyscraper ever built was in Chicago in 1885.
- More nuclear power plants operate here than in any other state.
- Every year, the Chicago River turns green for St. Patrick’s Day.
- Route 66 begins in downtown Chicago and stretches across the country.
- Avondale in Chicago was recently ranked as the 5th coolest neighborhood in the world.
Indiana
Indiana sits in the heart of the Midwest, a place often linked with basketball, racing, and farmland that seems to go on forever.
But behind the easy images is a state with a story that reaches from frontier days to modern industry.
History
Tribes like the Miami and Potawatomi called Indiana home long before European settlers arrived.
The territory became a state in 1816, the 19th to join the Union. Through the 1800s, canals and railroads cut across the land, pulling towns into the national economy.
Indiana also sent large numbers of soldiers to fight in the Civil War, and that service became a point of pride carried for generations.
Geography
Flat fields dominate much of Indiana, especially in the north and central parts of the state, where corn and soybeans cover the horizon.
Southern Indiana shifts into hills and limestone country, dotted with caves and quarries.
The state touches Lake Michigan in the northwest, giving Indiana a short but important stretch of shoreline.
Surprising Facts
- The Indianapolis 500 is one of the most famous car races in the world, drawing crowds every Memorial Day weekend.
- Basketball has a special place here, with high school gyms packed for Friday night games and a deep tradition that inspired the movie Hoosiers.
- Indiana is a major limestone producer, and stone from its quarries was used in buildings like the Empire State Building and the Pentagon.
- Santa Claus, Indiana, lives up to its name with a year-round Christmas theme that attracts visitors.
Iowa
Iowa may not shout for attention, but it carries weight in ways many overlook. Rivers mark its borders, farmland stretches across its heart, and the people who live here often see their work as part of something bigger than themselves.
History
The Ioway, Sioux, and Sauk called this land home long before the state entered the Union in 1846. With rich soil, Iowa quickly became one of the country’s strongest farming states. When the Civil War broke out, Iowa sent more soldiers per person than almost anywhere else, showing that commitment runs deep even in a place with fewer people.
@notesoniowa1846Do you know about the onset of the treaty era in Iowa? On August 4, 1824, Mahaska of the Ioway, Keokuk of the Sauk, and Wapello of the Meskwaki, visited Washington D.C. During the visit, the leaders agreed to treaties including the first cession of lands in Iowa. Learn more of the story at: https://www.notesoniowa.com/post/iowa-indigenous-leaders-visit-washington-d-c-iowa-time-machine-august-4-1824♬ original sound – SugarShaneWebster
Geography
The Mississippi frames the east, the Missouri lines the west, and the land in between rolls with fields and prairies. The summers can be hot, the winters cold, and storms carve across the plains with force.
Life here often bends to the rhythm of the land, where harvests, rivers, and weather set the pace.
Surprising Facts
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- Iowa grows more corn and soybeans than any other state.
- The Iowa caucuses put the state in the political spotlight every four years.
- A baseball field in Dyersville, built for a movie, became the Field of Dreams and still draws fans today.
- Iowa 80 in Walcott is the largest truck stop on earth, big enough to feel like its own town.
- Slipknot, one of the biggest heavy metal bands in the world, started in Des Moines and even named an album Iowa.
Last Words
Each of these states tells its own story, yet together they show how varied the country becomes when you look past the headlines.
The journey through the alphabet keeps moving, and after I, the next letter in the series is J.