Margarita--

I've been told a story that when the citizens of the Northwest wanted to form a state, they proposed to the United States government to name it after their big river--the State of Columbia. The federal folks in Washington, D.C. responded, "No. We've already got a District of Columbia. Having both a District of Columbia and a State of Columbia would be too confusing." So the folks in the Northwest said, "Okay, call our state 'Washington'."

Can anyone corroborate this tale?

--Charlie Baum