Noted authors, historians headline Libby Dam celebration

Anniversaries, commemorations, whatever the term, present the opportunity to reflect on the past be they good, bad or somewhere in between.

For those looking forward to the 50th commemoration of the Libby Dam, there are a day’s worth of events going on.

But, for those who are truly engaged in the history of the structure and the region, there are two events that can’t be missed.

At 11 a.m., following the formal ceremony, there will be two book signings.

One is by author Donald E. Spritzer will be signing his book, “Waters of Wealth.” Spritzer’s well-researched account of the “Kootenai Loop” was published in 1979, four years after the dam was dedicated.

Spritzer took readers from prehistory through 40 years of false starts, international negotiations and the final construction of the structure, administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Libby Dam Visitor Center Park Ranger Susan James had an idea of reprinting “Waters of Wealth” for many years to help celebrate the 50th anniversary. One lone copy of the original publication was her guide to the second edition.

The Libby Dam Cooperative Association, led by Kathy Springmier, began the process of getting permission and rights to the book. Spritzer did give the rights to the co-op and Blue Creek Press of nearby Heron formatted and prepared the book for printing. Blue Creek also designed a new cover.

Noted Libby historian Jeff Gruber procured and curated the photos for the book after original images were lost. Gruber also diligently proof-read the captions and copy.

The LOR Foundation provided the funding for the project.

Spritzer, a native Westerner from Gunnison, Colorado, has lived in Missoula, Montana, for over 45 years where he earned a doctorate in history from the University of Missoula and worked as a librarian and historian for the Missoula Public Library for 30 years before he retired.

The other, “Operation BOLD: Libby Dam at Fifty” will be by author Rich (Ray) Aarstad, a Libby native.

Aarstad, an archivist for Montana State University, leads readers through the trials, tribulations and triumphs of the men and women who made Libby Dam a reality.

The book features more than 130 illustrations, most of which were garnered from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers archives at Libby Dam.

Aarstad shares historical tidbits regarding the small towns that were drowned and the people forced to move by the rising waters of Lake Koocanusa behind the dam.

Aarstad graduated from the University of Montana in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts, followed two years later by Master of Arts in History. He works for the Montana Historical Society.

Prior to his book signing, Aarstad will read the names of those who died while working on the dam.

At 1 p.m., Gruber and Aarstad will take part in a historical talk about the dam construction in the Visitor Center.