Teton Dam Disaster Collection

Teton Dam Disaster Collection 1976–1978, 2016
The Teton Dam Disaster Collection is a compilation of newspaper articles, oral histories, and published materials including government reports on the failure of the dam.
Newspapers from Idaho Falls and Rexburg reported on the Teton Dam disaster and aftermath between 1976 and 1977. The Rexburg Standard and the Post Register (Idaho Falls) contain comprehensive coverage of the event up through the following year (Box 16).
The Teton Oral History Program is a joint oral history program of the History Departments of Utah State University, Ricks College, and the Idaho State Historical Society. W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Idaho State Legislature, Idaho State Historical Society, and the National Endowment of the Humanities funded the Teton Oral History Program. The purpose was to gather and preserve information for historical and scholarly use concerning the Teton Dam Disaster.

​As the Teton Reservoir filled behind the recently completed Teton Dam, problems began to appear near its base on June 3, 1976. As leaks and holes formed over the next couple days, dam engineers feverishly worked to fill them, but on June 5, the dam finally gave way, flooding several communities downstream. Around 270 feet of water drained in just six hours, damaging thousands of homes, killing livestock, ruining roads and bridges, and leaving 25,000 homeless. The water wiped out the communities of Wilford and Sugar City, and destroying parts of Rexburg and other surrounding communities. Eleven people were killed as a result of the catastrophe with six drowned. The Rexburg Standard and the Post Register (Idaho Falls) reported on the event and the aftermath (Box 16).
16 Document Boxes; 5.4 Linear Feet Ricks College (Rexburg, Idaho)Idaho State Historical SocietyUtah State University (Logan, Utah) MSSI 0002
​This is a compilation of material gathered by the History Departments of Utah State University, Ricks College, and the Idaho State Historical Society. The Teton Flood Newspapers (Box 16) located in the holdings of the Special Collections were gathered from unprocessed materials in Special Collections and added in 2012.

​The collection is open for research use.
Materials entirely in English.
​It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to publish material from the records must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.

Initial Citation: <item, folder no., or box no.,>; MSSI 0002; Teton Dam Disaster Collection; Special Collections, David O. McKay Library, Brigham Young University-Idaho
Following Citations: <item, folder no., or box no.,>; MSSI 0002; BYUISC.

​MSSI 0015: David L. Crowder Collection, MSSI 0030: Ray Willis Walker Papers, File MS 0640: Teton Dam Conference Talks; Teton waters: a photographic portfolio by Robert Bower, Douglas A. Brown., The Day the Teton Dam Broke_1, The Day the Teton Dam Broke_2, File MS 0546: Failure of the Teton Dam News Scripts for KSL News, File MS 0535: St. Anthony 1st Ward Involvement in the Teton Dam Disaster, UA 0108: Clark Whitehead Papers

​More information on the Teton Dam Disaster can be found in MSSI 0015: David L. Crowder Papers.

​Teton Dam (Idaho); Teton Dam Failure, Idaho, 1976; Teton Dam Disaster Oral History Project
Minutes, Photographs, Newspapers, Slides, Camera Films
​Arranged by type of documentation. Newspaper clippings, oral history reports, photographs and newspapers that have been organized by title and sub organized chronologically.

Series I: Teton Dam Flood; Newspaper Clippings, Survey Cards

Box 1 of 16

1976–1978

1. Teton Dam Newspaper Clippings # 1

2. Teton Dam Newspaper Clippings # 2

3. Teton Dam Newspaper Clippings # 3

4. Teton Dam Newspaper Clippings # 4

5. Teton Dam Newspaper Clippings # 5

6. Teton Dam Newspaper Clippings # 6

7. Teton Dam Newspaper Clippings # 7

8. Teton Dam Newspaper Clippings # 8

9. Teton Dam Newspaper Clippings # 9

10. Teton Dam Newspaper Clippings # 10

11. Ricks College Employee Flood Survey

 


Series II: Teton Flood Oral History Collection Vol. 1-3

Box 2 of 16

1976–1977

1. Teton Flood Oral History Collection Volume 1

2. Teton Flood Oral History Collection Volume 2

3. Teton Flood Oral History Collection Volume 3

 


Series I: Teton Dam Flood; Newspaper Clippings, Magazines, Books, Notes

Box 3 of 16

1976–1978

1. Henry B. Eyring Newspapers Various Advertisements

2. Potato Grower of Idaho – July 1976

3. Time – Our Next President – June 21, 1976

4. News Release – Federal Disaster Assistance Administration

5. News – Small Business Administration

6. County Commissioners Civil Defense Staff Stake Presidents and Staff

7. Cultivator – Sept. 8, 1976

8. Readers Digest – Jan. 3, 1977, Send out list to the Wards – July. 14, 1976

9. MDS Work Assignment Cards

10. Various Ward Documents – Bishops Store House Church Clean Ups Summary of Teton Flood Cost Estimates

11. Chain Saw Checkout

12. Volunteer Help Assignments

 


Series III: Ward Information

Box 4 of 16

1976–1977

1. Ward Help Information

2. Ward Farms

3. Wards: Egin, Bench, Wilford, Salem, Sugar, Roberts

4. Misc. Buildings; Seminaries, R.S. Dist. Center-Rexburg, Tabernacle

5. Rexburg Stake; Wards: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12

 


Series IV: Oral History Reports; Teton Dam Disaster

Box 5 of 16

1977–1977

1. Anderson, Clyde W.

2. Anderson, Stephanie S.

3. Andrus, Gaylon Rich

4. Andrus, Gloria G.

5. Andrus, Alyn B.

6. Archibald, David W.

7. Ard, Myrtle W.

8. Ard, William

9. Bagley, Gaylen W

10. Bagley, Gaylen W

11. Bagley, Layle

12. Bake, Margaret

13. Barrus, Ruth H.

14. Bates, Orrin Raymon

15. Bean, Harold

16. Beck, Mary Ann

17. Bennion, Rex

18. Birch, Paul

19. Bird, Verl

20. Bischoff, Harold Mr. And Mrs.

21. Boice, Robert

22. Boyle, Nile Leroy

23. Bonner, John

24. Brewster, Sam F.

25. Brown, Hettie Burke

26. Brown, Max

27. Browning, Clarie

28. Calderwood, Jay

29. Camp, Irma R.

30. Carlson, Roxanne Lorie

31. Carter, William P.

32. Case, Garrett E.

33. Christensen, Jeff

34. Clements, Trudy

35. Coates, Lawrence

36. Cole, Veion Brown

 


Box 6 of 16

1976–1977

1. Congdon, Andrea

2. Cureton, Matt

3. Davenport, Ann

4. Eld, Marvin

5. Ellis, Don

6. Fife, Ronald K.

7. Forbush, Jack

8. Forsyth, Grace

9. Fowler, Don

10. Fowler, Janele

11. Fransen, Mr. And Mrs. George

12. Frederiksen, Mary L.

13. Fronk, Ted L.

14. Frost, Charles I.

15. Fuller, Kendell

16. Fullmer, Bettie Francine

17. Fullmer, Fremont and Golda

18. Fullmer, Theo Charles

19. Gage, Norman J

20. Galbraith, John

21. Gee, Clendon

22. Gee, James R.

23. Genta, Ellen

24. Gibson, Ruth

25. Gifford, Carolyn

26. Godfrey, Diana

27. Griffeth, Rama Drury

28. Grigg, Daryl Wayne

29. Hall, Garth Victor

30. Hansen, Keith L.

31. Harmon, Philip M.

32. Hart, Eldon C.

33. Hilterbrand, Vernel

34. Hoglund, Iris

35. Hoglund, Raymond Walter

36. Holman, Lora Hadlock

 


Box 7 of 16

1976–1977

1. Hostetter, C. Nelson

2. Howell, Kenneth

3. Hubscher, Arthur

4. Huskinson, Ralph

5. Hybels, Marilyn

6. Jenkins, Vernon Adrian

7. Jensen, Donald Niels

8. Jenson, L. Sid

9. Johnson, Carl J.

10. Kauer, Douglas S.

11. Kennedy, Michael B

12. Kinghorn, Brent

13. Klinger, Dell

14. Kriz, Lottie

15. Laird, McKean O.

16. Leonard, Jenni

17. Lowe, Gerald Jay

18. Manwaring, O. Elwood

19. Marlor, J. Kent

20. Mason, Carole

21. Meservy, Oliver K.

22. Miller, Wood

23. Moon, Zeruah

24. Morris, Barbara

25. Mortensen, Paul R.

26. Moss, Ronnie E.

27. Muir, Lynette

28. Nelson, Henry

29. Nelson, Judy

30. Nicholls, Dale Darnell

31. Niederer, Sharyn

32. Niederer, William

33. Nielson, John D.

34. Nyborg, Alan J. Mr. And Mrs.

35. Peterson, Lester J.

36. Peterson, Lola A.

37. Peterson, Floett G.

38. Pieper, Albert A.

39. Porter, Arthur C.

40. Price, Carol Ann

41. Price, Sandra

 


Box 8 of 16

1976–1977

1. Prows, Bernard

2. Reed, Sandra Armitta Isaacson

3. Remington, Tom E.

4. Ricks, Berniece W.

5. Ricks, Mark G.

6. Ricks, Shanna

7. Ricks, Norman E.

8. Risenmay, Jay

9. Robinson, Elaine

10. Rogers, Stephen William

11. Rogers, William Henry

12. Romrell, Brent and Arlene

13. Romrell, Lynn

14. Rydalch, Donald

15. Saunders, Larry

16. Saurey, Gwili

17. Schofield, Marilyn

18. Scoresby, Fred L.

19. Scoresby, Wanda

20. Shaw, Michael A.

21. Shirley, Leslie and Ethellynn

22. Shirley, Mack

23. Shirley, Rodney

24. Shirley, Ross

25. Shirley, Shanna

26. Smead, Mada W.

27. Smith, Eric

28. Sonderegger, Ferron W.

29. Sonderegger, Ferron

30. Sonderegger, Marilyn Hansen

31. Stevens, David

32. Stevenson, Afton

33. Stoddard, Norma

34. Stone, George

35. Stucki, J. Wendall

36. Swensen, Laren

 


Box 9 of 16

1976–1977

1. Thompson, Carolyn

2. Thompson, Larry G.

3. Thompson, Lora

4. Thompson, Robert

5. Vance, Nola Browning Thomas

6. Walker, Lola

7. Ward, Rueland

8. Weick, Dawn

9. Wescott, David

10. Widdison, Garr

11. Widdison, Lillie D.

12. Wilding, David

13. Wilding, David Dewayne

14. Williams, H. Lynn

15. Willmore, George

16. Wood, Walters Hendry

17. Worrell, Robert

18. Yorgason, Blaine M.

19. Zirker, John

 


Series V: Clippings and Publications after the Dam Broke

Box 10 of 16

1976–1977

1. Teton Flood Disaster, Clippings and Publications

2. Civic and community correspondence

3. Finance materials

4. Interviews with Bishops and First Presidency Message

5. Ricks College; News Release

6. Civic Defense Command Post Record of Events (June 7 – 12, 1976)

7. Lori Ann Wilkins

8. Jim McClure

9. Ricks College

10. William and Mary Walker

11. John Clarke

12. C.H. Brownings

13. Larry Hibbert and Brent Hall

14. Jerry Glenn

15. Clem J. Thompson

16. M.D. Morrell

17. Blackfoot News. Tragedy: a chronology of the Teton Dam disaster

18. Nelson, Flint

19. Nelson, Crystal

20. 1978 Post Register

21. 1978 Rexburg Standard Journal

22. 1979 Post Register

23. 1979 Rexburg Standard Journal

24. 1980 Rexburg Standard Journal

25. 1980 Post Register

26. 1983 Rexburg Standard Journal

27. 1986 Post Register

28. 1986 Rexburg Standard Journal

29. 1977 Idaho East Magazine

 


Series VI: Department of the Interior Geological Survey

Box 11 of 16

1976–1976

1. Newdale (by Herman A. Ray, Howard F. Matthai, and Cecil A. Thomas), 2 copies

2. St. Anthony (by Cecil A. Thomas, Herman A. Ray, and Howard F. Matthai), 2 copies

3. Parker (by Cecil A. Thomas and Herman A. Ray), 2 copies

4. Moody (by William A. Harenberg and Bruce B. Bigelow), 2 copies

5. Rexburg (by William A. Harenberg and Bruce B. Bigelow), 2 copies

6. Menan Buttes (by Cecil A. Thomas, Herman A. Ray, and William A. Harenberg), 2 copies

7. Deer Parks (by Herman A. Ray, C. Michael Bennett, and Andrew W. Records), 2 copies

8. Rigby (by Herman A. Ray and Bruce B. Bigelow), 2 copies

9. Lewisville (by Herman A. Ray and Bruce B. Bigelow), 2 copies

10. Idaho Falls North (by Herman A. Ray and Howard F. Matthai), 2 copies

11. Idaho Falls South (by Herman A. Ray and Howard F. Matthai), 2 copies

12. Woodville (by Howard F. Matthai and Herman A. Ray), 2 copies

13. Firth (by Larry L. Hubbard and John H. Bartells), 2 copies

14. Rose (by John H. Bartells and Larry L. Hubbard), 2 copies

15. Blackfoot (by John H. Bartells and Larry L. Hubbard)

16. Moreland (by Larry L. Hubbard and John H. Bartells), 2 copies

17. Pingree (by Larry L. Hubbard and John H. Bartells), 3 copies

 


Series VII: Photographs of Teton Dam Disaster

Box 12 of 16

1976–1976

1. Photographs by Eldon Linschoten

2. 4th of July Parade, Rexburg

3. Photographs by K. Baker Before Teton Dam Flood (Area of Teton River and Teton Dam)

4. Photographs by Eldon Linschoten and Mike Lewis (Area of Down Stream Side)

5. Historical Photographs

6. Random Photographs (Unknown Source)

 


Series VIII: Damaged Books

Box 13 of 16

1888–1917

1. Life of Joseph Smith by George Q. Cannon (1888)

2. Wilford Woodruff by Matthias F. Cowley (1916)

3. John St. John (A Story of Missouri and Illinois) by Nephi Anderson (1917)

 


Series IX: Rick Davis Collection of Teton Dam Flood

Box 14 of 16

1976–1976


1. Slides of Teton Dam Flood

2. Photographs of the Sugar City Area

3. Photographs of the Rexburg Area

4. Camera Film of Teton Dam Flood

 


Series X: Teton Flood Photo Slides

Box 15 of 16

1976–1976

1. Thomson, Lynn P. Teton Dam Disaster 1

2. Thomson, Lynn P. Teton Dam Disaster 2

3. Script to Accompany Slide Set Number Two – 2 copies / Teton Dam Flood Data

 


Series XI: Newspaper Collection of Teton Dam Flood

Box 16 of 16

1976–1977, 2016

The Standard Journal (Rexburg)

1. November 11, 1976

2. November 16, 1976

3. December 14, 1976

4. January 6, 1977

5. February 22, 1977

6. February 24, 1977

7. April 12, 1977

8. May 12, 1977

9. May 17, 1977

10. May 31, 1977

11. June 2, 1977

12. June 7, 1977

13. June 16, 1977

14. June 21, 1977

15. June 3, 2016

The Post Register (Idaho Falls)

16. January 5, 1977

17. January 7, 1977


​The Teton Dam Disaster Collection is a compilation of newspaper articles oral histories, accounts received, and published materials. Newspapers from Idaho Falls and Rexburg that reported on the Teton Dam Disaster and aftermath between 1976 and 1977. The Standard (Rexburg) and the Post Register (Idaho Falls) contain comprehensive coverage of the event and the following year (Box 16).