Many, many years ago when the world was young - when Olympus was throwing out Vulcan and Jupiter and Saturn - when Mars and Vesta were contending for supremacy - old Mount Olympia was telling stories to his children; he told such funny ones that he shook and shook and shook with laughter until out of his crater flew silver and gold and opals and pearls and mica.

The west wind came off from the sea and blew them away to the eastward; they flew and flew - these opals and pearls and silver and gold - until they struck against high Rocky Mountains; they hit so hard they sank deep into the heart of them; the star gods watched over them and sang their requiem while the west wind covered them over with sand and earth.

One by one the star choir came out and sang together and said:

“Rest, sweetly rest, silver and gold; sleep, opal and pearls and mica; we will name thy resting place Idaho.

"Thou, Idaho, shalt stand forever.

"After many years men shall come with their shovels and picks and they precious stones shall see the light again and shall shine on the breast of fair women and brave men; thy forests of pine and fir and cedar shall tremble and fall by the woodman’s axe, and thy great trees shall be carried over the ocean to the sunny lands; thy rolling hills shall be covered with vineyards and orchards and thy valleys with flocks and herds; waving grain shall be everywhere.

"O, Idaho! thou hast great wealth in thy hard heart of rock, wonderful commerce undeveloped in thy forests and food for the nations to be ungrown on thy fertile plains.”

They sang again and the mountains sens the echo around the world. “Esto perpetua Idaho, fair Idaho, Amen.”

From the 1903 Gem of the Mountains, the first yearbook printed at the University of Idaho.