Name/Title
Teton Dam Scrapbook Shoe HausDescription
The Shoe Haus has one photo on the reverse side of the page. It was Thompson Pump & Irrigation and was rebuilt as Shoe Haus.
The report is printed on a letter head, and is signed Sharon Keele. It reads:
On Saturday June 5, 1976 we lost everything we had worked for, for over 25 years. Our home had been hit and our business was completely destroyed.
As we survived the situation Sunday morning, we decided to forget about trying to get back in business again. Our building was demolished also, so we didn't have anywhere to locate. Then several weeks later, a fellow approached us and said he was moving out of his building although it also sustained a lot of damage, he made us a good offer for it. We debated about whether we wanted to try it again, and finally decided to buy it from him.
It was impossible to find any kind of builders or carpenters. Everyone was busy who could hold a hammer. Finally my husband's brother who builds in Shelley, Idaho, came up and showed us what to do. We had to jack the retaining wall over 9 inches between the building and the one next to us. The floor had caved in to the basement and had to be rebuilt. My brother-in-law would come up every two or three days and lay us out what needed to be done, and my husband and I and our 4 daughters would do it and then he would come back and show us how to do some more. Our family rebuilt the store with a little help and much direction from my brother-in-law even to the sign on the front of the building.
September 4, 1976, we were back and opened for business once again. I look at it now and wonder how we did it, and I don't think I could do it again. We are grateful for our good family and all the fantastic people that came into our area and helped.