the origins of potatoes:

peru's inca indians were the first to cultivate potatoes in about 200 b.c. the
incas had many uses for potatoes, which ranged in size from a small nut to an
apple, and in color from red and gold to blue and black. raw slices were placed on
broken bones, carried to prevent rheumatism and eaten with other foods to prevent
indigestion. the incas also used potatoes to measure time, correlating units of
time with how long it took potatoes to grow.

the spanish conquistadores discovered the potato in 1537 in the andean village
of sorocota. they took potatoes with them on their return trip to europe, where
the vegetable had a difficult time being accepted. the potato, a member of the
nightshade family, was considered by many to be poisonous or evil. it was thought
to cause leprosy and syphilis and was considered a dangerous aphrodisiac. with the
help of germany's king frederick william, france's parmentier and england's sire
walter raleigh, the potato was soon popularized throughout europe. frederick
william ordered peasants to plant and eat potatoes--or have their noses sliced
off! parmentier worked with king louis xiv to popularize potatoes in france. one
of his feats was to prepare a feast with nothing but potato dishes, including
potato liqueur. among parmentier's guests were benjamin franklin and marie
antoinette, who wore potato blossoms in her hair. potatoes were introduced to
ireland by sir walter raleigh, who was given 40,000 acres of land in ireland by
queen elizabeth i to grow potatoes and tobacco.

the first potatoes arrived in north america in 1621 when captain nathanial
butler, then governor of bermuda, sent two large cedar chests containing potatoes
and other vegetables to francis wyatt, governor of virginia at jamestown.

the first permanent north american potato patches were established in new
england around 1719, most likely near londonderry (now derry), new hampshire, by
scotch-irish immigrants.

text and statistics courtesy of oreida

source: idaho potato commission

potatoes come to idaho:

idaho's first potato grower was not a farmer at all, but a presbyterian
missionary named henry harmon spalding. had he sought a life in idaho as a farmer,
chances are he would have found land more suitable to agriculture than lapwai,
where he established his mission in 1836 to bring christianity to the nez perce
indians. his plan was to demonstrate to the nez perce that they could provide food
for themselves through agriculture rather than hunting and gathering.

in 1837 the buffalo herds were beginning to be depleted by market hunting and
encroachment on their natural domain. spalding was astute enough to see that the
lifestyle of the indians was changing and that they would soon need other sources
of food. by offering to teach them how to raise agricultural crops, he added an
additional benefit to the white man's religion that helped gather the nez perce
around his lapwai mission.

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source: idaho potato commission