Lewiston, named after Meriwether Lewis (of Lewis and Clark fame), was founded in 1861 in the wake of a gold rush that began the previous year near the town of Pierce. The area was originally inhabited by the Nez Perce (or Nimiipuu Native Americans) and the first Europeans to visit the area were members of the David Thompson expedition of 1803. Lewis and Clark passed though the area in 1805 and 1806.
In 1863, Lewiston became the capital of the newly created Idaho Territory, but its stint was short-lived; a resolution to move the capital from Lewiston to Boise was passed by the Idaho Territory legislature on December 7, 1864. This highly unpopular decision in the north was also viewed by many as "illegal" due to the resolution taking place some six weeks before the legislature's session legally began. Despite this, Boise proceeded to become the capital of the Idaho Territory in 1866.
Lewiston maintains a variety of attractions including: