DescriptionSeeleyLake and the community of SeeleyLake are named for Jasper B. Seely, who worked as a timber cruiser for Hammond Lumber Company and built a cabin on what was in 1881 known as Clearwater Lake. The extra e in Seeley was added by the early surveyors of the lake. Seely served as the first ranger in the area from 1899 to 1900, on the Lewis and Clark Forest Reserve, which encompassed 3 million acres, taking in the Clearwater and Swan valleys, as well as the present-day Bob Marshall, Scapegoat, and Great Bear wilderness areas. He worked for the USFS as a forest supervisor until 1927. The first road to SeeleyLake came in 1895. The Big Blackfoot Milling Company purchased Seely’s land in 1906 and for the next 5 years moved logs from SeeleyLake down the Clearwater and Blackfoot rivers to the mill at Bonner. The Anaconda Company purchased the land and mill a few years later. After World War II, timber companies such as the Bockmier Lumber Company began operations in the vicinity. Pyramid Mountain Lumber started logging the area in 1950 and built a sawmill. Thereafter, the town began to grow, acquiring electricity in 1952 and telephones in 1961. With the paving of MT 83, the town became a popular tourist destination. Located on the southeast end of SeeleyLake, the community remains a draw for tourists in the winter and summer months.Personal NamesSeely, Jasper B.Other Name(s)Clearwater LakeContributing InstitutionMontana Historical Society Library and ArchivesGeolocation[1] Elevation4023 ft. CountyMissoula County
