- The Palouse Prairie is an endangered ecosystem spanning Eastern Washington, Western Idaho, and Northeastern Washington (Noss et al. 1995). Different sources have a variety of historical ranges throughout this region. The most widely accepted historical range was created by Black et al. 1998. Black’s map displays the extensive loss of the Palouse Prairie’s range due to agricultural land conversion. Many of these maps are fairly old paper maps. Interactive, online maps of this region are lacking and needed.
- Lake Elmo, Washington County, Minnesota, was named by A. B. Stickney, now of St. Paul, Minn.,, from a nearby lake, that had been named from the novel “St. Elmo.” The town was formerly called Oakdale from the many Black Oak (Quercus nigra) trees that grow hereabouts. It is not known where the novelist found the name for her book, but it is supposed she “evolved it out of the depth of her own consciousness.” She did not get it from that corposant known as “St. Elmo’s fire,” which was named for St. Elmo, the patron saint of navigators.