20/35 Year Look Back

In celebration of 35 years of the Seeley Swan Pathfinder, each week we will run parts of articles that appeared in the issue 35 years ago and 20 years ago. The entire issue will be uploaded to our website seeleylake.com for you to enjoy. We hope you will enjoy the journey with us as we follow our community through the past 35 years as documented by the Pathfinder.

35 years ago: June 19, 1986 issue

Fishin' At The Pothole

"Fishin' at the Pothole," a children's fun day held Saturday in Seeley Lake and sponsored by the Wilderness Sportsman's Club, was a huge success, according to Frank Wolfram, Youth Officer for the group.

There were 29 contestants who caught a total of 308 fish. Winners in various categories and the prizes won are as follows:

Largest Fish

Age 12-15: First Place, Spring Shoupe, Greenough, 11-⅛ inch bass; awarded a knife donated by Whitetail Cabins. Second Place, Steve Campbell, Seeley Lake, 9-¾ inch perch; awarded a six pack of pop from the Wilderness Sportsman's Club.

Ages 9 to 11: First Place Tim Jacobs, Seeley Lake, 10-½ inch bass; awarded two lures from the Seeley Lake Pharmacy. Second Place Chris Gehrke, Seeley Lake; awarded a six pack of pop from the Wilderness Sportsman's Club.

Ages 8 and under: First

Place Jesse Shoupe, Greenough, 7-inch bluegill; won a surprise package. Second Place David....

To read more visit: https://www.seeleylake.com/home/customer_files/article_documents/1986-06-19.pdf

35 years ago: June 19, 1986 issue

Rainbow Bend is straightened out

Rainbow Bend is gradually going to lose its shape this summer as workers hustle to finish the project early this fall. The contract for reconstruction of the treacherous one-mile stretch of Highway 200 just south of Twin Creeks was awarded to Glen Rehbein Excavation, Inc., Missoula, earlier this spring. Total cost of the project including paving the "wide section of the road" just south of Rainbow Bend is $1.6 million, according to James Weaver, construction engineer. Weaver thinks the project will be completed early in September.

To view more visit https://www.seeleylake.com/home/customer_files/article_documents/1986-06-19.pdf

20 years ago: June 21, 2001 issue

Land Exchange approved by Land Board

We'll wait until after closing to celebrate

But, Phase II of the 50th Anniversary Project came one giant step closer to completion with its unanimous approval by the State Board of Land Commissioners on Monday morning at the Capitol building in Helena. The Board is comprised of the Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Auditor and Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Now it's up to specialists in Plum Creek Timber Company, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) to pull the final paperwork together and complete the transfer of about 3,000 acres in the heart of the Game Range from Plum Creek to DNRC. Closing is expected in the next few weeks.

Combined with the Phase I purchase of 856 acres last year, the upcoming completion of Phase II will bring project partners more than halfway to their 50th Anniversary Project goal of transferring 7,800 acres in the Game Range from Plum Creek to public ownership.

Art Sikkink, Chair of the Game Range Citizens' Advisory Council, made the trip to Helena on Monday and spoke in favor of the proposed Phase II land exchange. Art emphasized the need for maintaining the integrity of the winter range for the elk and deer populations that migrate from the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, and he viewed the Phase II proposal as "a win-win situation."

Steve Kelly, representing the Friends of the Wild Swan, offered the only other comment from the public. Steve urged the State to buy the lands in the Game Range from Plum Creek, rather than trading other State lands. His concern was that Plum Creek would harvest timber at an accelerated rate on lands it acquired in exchange from DNRC, and that resulting impacts to wildlife species on those scattered tracts, albeit minor (as predicted in the State's environmental impact statement), should be avoided.

To read more visit: https://www.seeleylake.com/home/customer_files/article_documents/2001-06-21.pdf