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Usually we expect notable people from our past to leave some kind of footprint: a road named after them, a mountain peak, a lake, or a lookout. In the case of Wesley Edward Binko, however, frequently referred to as W.E. Binko, there is nothing to be found. How odd for someone who was a real pioneer of the dude ranching business in our valley. Wesley Binko was born in Helena in 1893 to a long-established Helena family. From Helena Senior High School he went on to Northwestern University in the Chicago area. A track star in college, he held the...
When our community faces difficult times like these, it can help to look back at our history and see how tough and resilient we have been. Looking at the photos and exhibits in the Historical Museum at the Barn shows what the people who built Seeley Lake went through, and how we became what we are today. In the early 20th century, when the first major timber sale took place in Seeley, loggers worked under conditions hard to imagine today. We have photos of winter camps, since trees were cut during the winter and logs skidded to the frozen...
In 1987, the Seeley Lake Writers Club started a project that two years later — in time for Montana's Centennial — was published as the book "Cabin Fever." This remains the best compilation of articles and interviews of the first 100 years of the Seeley Lake area. One of the key figures in the writers group was Mildred Chaffin. We have read many of the fascinating stories she wrote, but her own life makes for quite a story as well! Mildred was born in Evaro in 1908, back when Evaro seemed to be even more remote from Missoula than it is tod...
At the Seeley Lake Historical Society, a main focus of ours is maintaining and enhancing the museum at the Barn. Those of you who have visited us recently (we are open Thursday through Saturday 11 a.m - 4 p.m. throughout the winter) have seen the updated exhibits discussed in our December article, and now can view our Veteran's display. This includes uniforms and artifacts going back to the First World War. We have other projects in the works, so in addition to visitors, we love to have volunteers as well! Understanding and appreciating...
There have been many interesting and influential Seeley Lakers since our community began. Jasper Seely, from whom our town got its name, is among the more fascinating, and a look at his life is also a look at America during a period of robust growth and change. Born in Niles, Michigan, in 1857, Jasper Seely would be 166 years old today. The town of Niles was settled in the early 19th century, although nearby Fort St. Joseph dates back to 1691. Niles has been called the City of Four Flags since it was governed at various times by the Spanish,...
For more than 20 years, the Seeley Lake Historical Society has worked to expand our knowledge and understanding of the history of the Seeley Lake area. We do this by maintaining the Historical Museum at the Barn and presenting programs and events of interest to the community and our schools. Our museum is open Thursday - Saturday from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. through Memorial Day, at which time we transition to seven days per week. You can also reach us via email at slhistory@blackfoot.net, Our website...
While the title alone should interest us in Christopher Preston’s latest book, I found it to be a remarkable and engrossing read. Once started, it is difficult to put down, and for those of us in our valley who live close to nature, it is optimistic as well as cautionary, and challenges us in surprising ways. Preston will be reading from his new book, “Tenacious Beasts” at Alpine Artisans’ Open Book Club 7 pm, Oct. 21 at the Seeley Lake Foundation Building. The event is free and everyone is welcome. Species which have rebounded against overwhel...
The Fourth of July is right around the corner, and it looks like Seeley Lake will have its first really good weather of the summer. What better way to “Celebrate our Lakes and Mountains” on Independence Day! Your Fourth of July Committee has been working hard to put all the pieces together to make this a great day for everyone. Get a good night’s sleep on Monday so you can start with a pancake breakfast at the Fire Department Tuesday morning. There are many activities, including the parade down the middle of town, planned for the day. Be sure...
“Celebrating our Lakes and Mountains!” is the theme of this year’s Fourth of July celebration in Seeley Lake. You can expect a full day of fun, starting with the Seeley Lake Fire Foundation’s Pancake Breakfast and Car Show, and ending with the most spectacular fireworks show ever on Seeley Lake. Mission Bible Fellowship and the Seeley Lake Baptist Church will be serving food. Our parade will kick off at 2 p.m. and we expect a military flyover as well. Of course there will be the Rubber Ducky race, a real Seeley Lake Fourth of July traditi...
Readers of the Pathfinder have enjoyed the special feature “20/35 Year Look Back” during this past year. Since Double Arrow Ranch was in existence 35 years ago, let’s take a look at what it was in 1986 (35 years ago), and how it had changed by 20 years ago in 2001. In 1986, the most recent phases of the Ranch were eight years old. While it was an established subdivision, in many ways it showed its youth. The Homeowners Association as we know it today, Double Arrow Ranch Landowners Association (DARLOA), was still coming into existence. Since...
This Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021 will be the 20th anniversary of an event that has totally changed our lives and how we look at the world. On that morning back in 2001, I walked through the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York City as I went to my office in Lower Manhattan. Memories from that day are as clear to me today as the skies were on that fine fall day. As I walked past the bottom of the North Tower just before 9 a.m., I heard a dull boom directly overhead. My immediate thought was how odd... Full story
In comparison to many subdivisions in Western Montana, Double Arrow Ranch is a senior citizen. Opened in phases between 1973 and 1978, it coincided with Montana’s first attempt to regulate such developments, with the Subdivision and Platting Act of July 1, 1973. The earliest parts of the ranch turn 48 years old this year, and soon will reach the age of 50, where people, places and events are considered historic! The residential Ranch of today is a legacy of Seeley Lake’s first dude ranch dating from 1929, the original Double Arrow Ranch. Est...
Double Arrow Ranch has been a part of the Seeley Lake community for 48 years. It continues to see new construction and undeveloped lots change hands. This past year over 60 property transactions occurred on the Ranch, a clear indication that our part of Western Montana is seen as a haven to folks all over the country! Let's take a closer look at the Ranch and its homeowners' association, the Double Arrow Ranch Land Owners Association (DARLOA). The first phases of the Ranch were approved by...
The decade of the 1980’s was the time when initial plans were modified, properties were bought and sold regularly and building began occurring across all phases of DARLOA. It is fascinating to look back at how the development matured in the 1980’s. The final phases of Double Arrow Ranch were approved in 1978, a time of ever-increasing interest rates. In May of 1980, the Missoula County Planning Board gave preliminary approval for 68 two-story condominiums, which would provide 136 units, on a 100-acre site. This was perhaps the last time suc...
Some say that events and people become of historical interest after 50 years have passed. If that is so, the early phases of Double Arrow Ranch will reach this milestone in June of 2022, just over two years from now. Today we know the Ranch as one of the larger residential developments in Western Montana. It's a long-standing part of the Seeley Lake community and a place where some residents go back many years. If we look back at the early days of the Ranch, from 1972 - 1979, we see a lively...
SEELEY LAKE - Those of us who have chosen the Seeley Lake area as a place to visit or live have many reasons: the beauty of our mountains, solitude whenever we desire and neighbors who share our friendship and values. Part of what makes our area special is its grounding in the history of those who built our community. Unlike the Missoula, Blackfoot and Bitterroot Valleys, that had easier access by horse and wagon, the Seeley-Swan region took a special kind of determination. We are fortunate to be just a couple of generations removed from these...
One attraction to the many homeowners who have purchased lots on the Double Arrow Ranch is the extent and variety of the common areas. These are lands owned by DARLOA, the homeowners association, and are available to all residents for their enjoyment. Since association common areas are also open to the public, this is a benefit to the wider Seeley Lake community. It’s one way the Ranch adds to the attractiveness of our valley. Let’s take a look at some of these common areas in more detail, and then learn about a possible swap for some cou...
