Editor's note: This article is a part of a series reviewing Utah and U.S. history for KSL.com's Historic section. SALT LAKE CITY — The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill that would pave the way for District of Columbia statehood. If approved by Congress, the United States would gain its first state since Hawaii joined the Union in August 1959. It would also be the first state added within the Continental U.S. since Arizona more than a century ago. The reaction the last year statehood was granted Up until 1912, the U.S. had been adding states on a pretty regular basis. Before that year, the longest gap between news states occurred shortly after the Civil War: the gap between the 38th state (Colorado) and the 39th state (North Dakota) was a little more than 23 years. That stretch ended when North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Washington state were all admitted into the Union within two weeks of each other.