Won by a landslide

Posted by Becca on June 26, 2008 at 22:41

I am wondering if you know where the phrase "won by a landslide" originated.

When Teton County, Wyoming, where I live, became a county in the early 1920s the communities of Kelly and Jackson competed to be named county seat. Jackson won by a narrow margin and the county was officially formed in 1923. Then in 1925 a landslide dammed the Gros Ventre River in the mountains above Kelly creating Slide Lake. Finally, in 1927 that natural dam broke and the resulting flood destroyed Kelly, which has never been rebuilt to what it once was. Anyway, a persistent rumor in this area is that the phrase was born from that series of events. I was hoping you could shed some light on the subject.

• Won by a landslide RRC 26/June/08
  • Won by a landslide ESC 28/June/08