New interactive exhibit in Rexburg tells story of the Teton Dam flood
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REXBURG — Fifty years after the collapse of the Teton Dam transformed east Idaho, a new exhibit at Rexburg City Hall is inviting residents to remember not only the disaster itself, but the remarkable recovery that followed.
The exhibit, titled “Just Add Water: The Dam that Broke and Built Us,” opened this week as part of the community’s Flood 50 commemoration. Created by the Museum of Rexburg, the exhibit explores the 1976 Teton Dam failure while focusing on the volunteerism, resilience and community spirit that emerged in its aftermath.
“The perspective we’re taking with this exhibit, and with all the events of Flood 50, is focusing more on the recovery than the disaster,” said Jed Platt, Rexburg’s cultural arts director. “What we’re commemorating is the service and volunteerism that this community showed up for each other with, and that we’re still here and thriving.”
RELATED | Voices from the flood: Survivors reflect on the Teton Dam collapse
A new, interactive exhibit
The Museum of Rexburg had been housed in the historic Rexburg Tabernacle for decades. However, ongoing renovations and preservation work at the building prompted museum leaders to relocate the exhibit to City Hall. Platt said the new exhibit will remain there for at least the next year and will continue evolving as visitors contribute new stories and memories.
The exhibit tells the story of the Teton Dam’s construction, ultimate failure and aftermath of the disaster. Completed in 1976, the earthen dam failed during its first filling, releasing approximately 80 billion gallons of water into the Snake River Valley. The flood traveled more than 100 miles, covered over 300 square miles, and resulted in 11 fatalities.
Near the dam site, communities were struck by a wall of water 30 feet high. In Rexburg, approximately 15 miles downstream, floodwaters reached depths of up to 5 feet along Main Street.
“Some houses were completely swept away,” Platt said. “There are homes that were picked up, moved for miles, and set down in potato fields.”
Clothing, blankets, food storage and other household items from 1976 are on display at Rexburg City Hall as part of a new exhibit to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Teton Dam disaster. | David George, EastIdahoNews.com
Snapshots of hope
One display recounts the story of a family who evacuated moments before the flood. Their home was pushed off its foundation and was carried miles away, eventually coming to rest in a farmer’s field. When the family returned, they found the dinner table still set exactly as they had left it.
Other stories highlight the strange journeys of personal belongings. One family believed their carefully compiled genealogy records had been destroyed, only to learn months later that the book had been found in a tree, nearly 100 miles away in American Falls.
Throughout the exhibit, visitors can explore recreations of a 1970s living room, browse artifacts recovered from the flood, and listen to recorded firsthand accounts using vintage-style telephones. Guests are also encouraged to contribute their own memories through written and audio recordings.
Calling all flood survivors
Platt said preserving those stories has become one of the exhibit’s most important goals.
“Quite often people say, ‘I’ve never told anyone that story before,'” he said. “It’s given them an avenue to express (their stories) and record them.”
A major focus of the exhibit is the role volunteers played in rebuilding the region. Following the disaster, thousands of volunteers traveled to east Idaho from surrounding states. Many brought their own tools, meals, and supplies to assist affected families.
“When they saw the yellow buses, it gave them hope that we could do this, that we could rebuild,” Platt said, recalling stories shared by flood survivors.
Rick’s College, now BYU-Idaho, became a critical refuge during the crisis. The campus, built on higher ground, housed thousands of displaced residents, provided more than 386,000 meals, and logged over 100,000 nights of shelter for flood victims.
SHARE YOUR STORY | Click here to share your memories of the Teton Dam disaster
‘Celebration of Service’ set as crescendo of Flood Week
The Flood 50 commemoration will culminate Saturday evening with a free “Celebration of Service” event at the BYU-Idaho Center at 7 p.m. The multimedia program will feature music, narration, video presentations and stories centered on the themes of remembering, connecting and serving.
For Platt, the exhibit’s purpose extends beyond preserving history.
“We want people to have a hands-on experience with this story,” he said. “Not just learn the facts and figures, but be inspired by what this community did and how service can continue to strengthen us today.”
Residents who have memories of the flood are encouraged to contact the Museum of Rexburg and contribute their stories to the growing collection. Submissions can also be made online here.