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 rugged pioneers.
Double Arrow Ranch is part of this historical legacy, given its prior existence as a cattle ranch, a dude ranch and an outfitters headquarters. Fortunately, when the present development was planned, a variety of common areas were included in the overall layout.
Some of these hearken back to the earlier days of Seeley Lake. The Double Arrow Ranch Landowners Association, or DARLOA as we are known, has taken seriously the responsibility of maintaining our historical elements, and sharing this with the broader community. Let’s take a close look at some of these.
Many of you in the community are familiar with DARLOA’s Homestead Cabin common area, comprising about 15 acres (with an additional 15 acres across Trail Creek.) Inside the cabin is a wonderful photo by Eddie Coyle of Burt (sometimes spelled Bert) and Dagmar Sperry, who lived in the cabin from 1935-1940.
There are two excellent articles in the Dec. 8, 2016 and Dec. 15, 2016 issues of the Pathfinder, where Betty Vanderwielen provides a thorough history of the cabin, both preceding and succeeding the Sperrys.
The structure is close to 100 years old, and while it was moved at least once, had probably been in the same general area during its entire existence. Those of you who like to dig deeper into the history of our area can find the homestead patents from 1907 granted to Charles Sperry, Burt’s father, and see why the hill just east of Clearwater Junction was named Sperry’s Grade. (As was fairly common among homesteaders acquiring land in the early 20th century, Helen Sperry, WIlliam’s wife, was also awarded a parcel.)
DARLOA maintains the cabin, along with an adjoining pavilion (not historic, since it was built in the 1980’s), as a venue for events such as weddings, family reunions, memorial services and organizational meetings. Just this year, electrical power has been extended to the pavilion and soon there will be lighting as well. We hope this enhances the value of this historic place for the community. We encourage people to experience the beauty of the setting and appreciate how our early settlers lived.
Information about using the Homestead Cabin is available by emailing darloa@blackfoot.net , or calling the DARLOA office at 677-2030.
On the west side of Highway 83, toward Phase 1A of Double Arrow Ranch, is a common area we call Wagon Wheel Flats. This parcel of land, approximately 30 acres, is a flat area populated with ponderosa pines. It stretches on one side along the Clearwater River. This part of the trail follows a footpath that has existed as long as anyone can remember. While it may never be proven for sure, it may well have been used by tribal members coming over the Jocko Pass for hunting and gathering camas roots.
The loop trail maintained by DARLOA volunteers is available year round, is one kilometer in length and is another place where all of us in the Seeley Lake area can get a feel for what it was like in the early days. There are a couple of modern conveniences such as benches, placed at the entrance and along the river, for those who wish to sit and enjoy the atmosphere.
Finally, as anyone who has been here in the winter knows, we have a common area known as the Old Ski Hill. This nine-acre parcel, situated at the entrance to the Ranch on Double Arrow Road, counts as one of the earliest (if not the earliest) ski area in Montana.
There are photos from 1937 showing skiers packing the snow under a very early rope tow. In 1939 there were advertisements for the ski area, noting that the closest railway station was in Missoula, Montana, and that bunkhouse accommodations, certainly the present day Lodge, were available for $35 per week. There are still remnants of these 85-year old days to be found on the Old Ski Hill today, and recently a volunteer discovered the basket from a ski pole, whose patent number dated back to the 1930s.
DARLOA has approached Missoula County about swapping the Old Ski Hill for the undeveloped Drew Creek Park at the upper end of the Ranch, but for now this is not in scope of what the County has budget to do. Their focus will be on the core of downtown
Seeley Lake, making sure that facilities such as the pedestrian and bike trail through town are well maintained. DARLOA will continue to manage the Old Ski Hill with a view both to its historical significance and its role as a common area open to the public.
DARLOA’s next step in managing the Old Ski Hill area is to dispose of the cabin on the property. This structure, built in the 1980’s, was for many years an office, used by DARLOA and subsequently by Arrowhead Condominiums, but now is vacant. The DARLOA board of directors, with input from landowners, is considering selling the cabin, and remediating the lower part of the area. Once again, people going up Double Arrow Road will see a hillside similar to how it looked for those intrepid skiers back in the 1930’s!
Understanding and appreciating our past deepens the bond that all of us have with Seeley Lake. We are fortunate to have identified the buildings and lands that grandparents and great-grandparents of current residents lived in and worked in and knowing these connections strengthens the ties we feel to Seeley Lake. As a large development, with its own interesting history, Double Arrow Ranch has its special obligation to preserve and make available to the community the historic areas on the Ranch. We expect to fulfill this obligation, continue to enhance our common areas and do our part to make this a place for all.
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