20/35 Year Look Back
From Dec. 4, 1986: Rich Manos, Seeley Lake, and his trophy whitetail buck. The rack measured 177 and 7/8 inches, gross but only 158 inches net (after deductions for typical class). The inside spread measured 23 inches.
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: Dec. 4, 1986 issue
Champion sells lakefront property
Portions of the lakefront property surrounding Placid Lake, formerly owned by Champion International Corporation, were recently sold to a Missoula developer.
Champion Timberlands transferred this prime recreation property to Champion Realty, which in turn sold the land to Placid Lake Properties, a general partnership owned by R. A. Ainsworth and D. Lester Turnbull, Missoula.
Jim Poling, spokesman for Champion Timberlands in Missoula, explained last week that the acreage was sold partly because it was being taxed as recreational property.
Joseph Kennedy of Champion Realty in Houston, Texas, described the sale as a unique situation.
"It is the only (recreational) property we own near Seeley Lake," Kennedy said.
The new owners are both seasonal residents of Placid Lake.
"We are certainly interested in protecting the lake," Ainsworth said last week. He explained that Champion had announced nearly two years ago that they intended to sell the property.
"It was obvious to us that somebody was going to buy it," Ainsworth said. "We didn't want just anybody doing it."
To read the full article and more from the Dec. 4, 1986 issue visit https://www.seeleylake.com/home/customer_files/article_documents/1986-12-04.pdf
Trophy whitetails reported
Story Suzanne Vernon
The Seeley Swan area is fast becoming popular for trophy whitetail hunting and the reasons are clear. There are some big bucks hiding in our woods....
...Many of the hunters interviewed this year said they had passed up small whitetail bucks early in the season. Rich Manos summed up the feelings of many of these sportsmen, "I know these woods and the trophies that are out there. A big buck becomes a different animal...he's a loner. You won't see him from the road. You have to stalk him. I like being in the woods...just being out there, I want to take my time and enjoy the hunt."
Dan's Discount sold to Colorado couple
New owners acquired a Seeley Lake landmark last Friday with the purchase of the historic Dan's Discount store in Seeley Lake.
A Colorado couple, Jim Sanford and his wife Carolynn Griffitts, purchased the store from Phil and Rita Crist who acquired the business a few years ago from the founder Dan Cainan.
Cainan, who was honored at an 80th birthday celebration this past October, founded the store in the early 1960's.
Along with the transition comes a name change.
The business will be known as the Happy Husky Trading Post and the name Dan's Discount and Sporting Goods will fade into local history.
To read the full article from the Dec. 6, 2001 issue visit https://www.seeleylake.com/home/customer_files/article_documents/2001-12-06.pdf
From Dec. 6, 2001 Jacob Wayne, center, had a successful horseback deer hunt with the Rich Ranch which he won with his safety essay (left) entitled "Things in Hunter Safety." Pictured with him are his father Gary Wayne, right, and Guide Justin Layman, left.
Essay winner has successful hunt at Rich Ranch
"Things in Hunter Safety"
by Jacob Wayne
Hunting ethics are self-made decisions and are of the utmost importance. Some ethics are right and some are wrong. It would not be a right ethical decision to shoot an animal at night. I want to make the best of my hunting ethics.
Good ethics are important to the well being of a hunter. As long as we can, we want to preserve hunting for future generations.
I would think it would be exciting to hunt with an outfitter and be around someone who is an expert at hunting and knows how to hunt. It would be a great influence on my hunting skills.
Some of the things I have learned in this class included hunting, ethics, rules and regulations, what I should do if I get lost and most of all, to be a good hunter and have fun.
Adding character to birdhouses brings them to life
Montana petitions USFWS to delist NCDE grizzlies
Fun at Historical Society meeting
The Gothard Sisters to perform Holiday Music Concert Dec. 12
AAI Giving Tree for art supplies returns in Seeley and Swan