I empathize with Mr. Jasper B. Seely and his brother, Elmer. People really like to add an extra “e” in my name, too.
According to Cabin Fever: A Centennial Collection of Stories About the Seeley Lake Area, passed on to me from the Pathfinder’s most recent editor, Griffen Smith, the word “Seeley” gained an extra “e” on accident when a survey crew was renaming Clearwater Lake to Seeley Lake, in honor of the Seely family.
Jasper became Seeley’s first forest ranger on what was then known as the Lewis and Clark Forest Reserve and eventually moved to Virginia City to work in the Madison National Forest in 1902, per Cabin Fever. Later, Jasper moved to Helena and worked on the Helena National Forest and retired in Missoula in 1927. He was the longest serving forest supervisor in the Pacific Northwest.
Jasper’s Montana travels seem similar to my own, but maybe in a different order.
I grew up in Helena and went to Montana State University to study history for my undergraduate degree. In 2019, I worked for two weekly community newspapers in southwest Montana, one being The Madisonian out of Ennis. The Madisonian recently celebrated its 150th year in print — it’s the longest running weekly newspaper in the state. And at one point, its home was in Virginia City.
In 2023, I graduated with my master’s degree in environmental journalism from the University of Montana in Missoula, where I now live, and from where I’ll be assuming this role as editor of the Pathfinder. Since working for the community papers I’ve been published in a variety of outlets nationally, regionally and locally including Scientific American, The New Republic and Montana Free Press.
When I was younger, my family and I would camp at Lake Alva and I would always marvel at Lake Inez as we’d drive by. My middle name is Inez, a name I’ve always been fond of for its uniqueness.
I share these little stories to say that I’m looking forward to getting to better know a place I have been fond of for years. It would be hilarious to say I’m not nervous, because I very much am, but what I’ve found after working for The Madisonian is that the key to community journalism is caring. I know you all care about your community, and I’m going to do my best to show you that I do, too.
Please reach out via email at pathfinder@seeleylake.com to say hi, offer any tips or hopes or dreams about coverage, and I look forward to connecting.
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