The Popular, World-Famous, Seldovia, Alaska Boardwalk
A town built to exist with the tides of Cook Inlet, a town nearly destroyed by the 1964 earthquake. Discover Seldovia in this edition of Alaska Stories.
In 1908, Seldovia’s “main street” was built along the beach and was only accessible at low tide.
Click on the following link to hear Mike and tell this Alaska Story.
You’ll find this Alaska town of about 255 people, located on the shores of Kachemak Bay on the Kenai Peninsula, about 246 miles from Anchorage.
However, you can only get there by boat or airplane. There are no roads connecting Seldovia with the rest of Alaska.
Athabascans, Aleuts, and Eskimos were the first to discover the area. They set up camps, fished and hunted in and around Kachemak Bay.
How Seldovia Got its Name
In the late 1700s, Russian explorers arrived and noticed a heavy population of herring in the waters of the bay. They named it “Zaliv Seldevoy”, which means, “Herring Bay”.
The Russians built a trading post and church in the area.
The Gold Rush
While Seldovia had a trading post, the Alaska Gold Rush made them a transportation hub.
Cook Inlet around Kachemak Bay was open during the winter.
Because of that, prospectors from all over the world journeyed to Seldovia to board steamers headed to the gold fields in the upper Cook Inlet.
The Seldovia Salmon Company
Beginning in 1910, the Seldovia Salmon Company began operation. Its success brought canneries who packed herring, shrimp, halibut crab and more.
Sadly, following the 1964 Alaska earthquake, the canneries closed.
Fox Farms
In the 1920s, raising foxes in the area around Seldovia was a big business. At one time, those farms were all over the south shore of Kachemak Bay.
Yes, You can Share This Edition
Your friends and family will be so happy when you share this edition of Alaska Stories with them, that they will send you on a luxury cruise around the world… well, it could happen.
The Boardwalk
Seldovia was originally built along the waterfront. Settlers had to use the beach at low tide to get to homes and businesses.
Then, in the late 1920s, the community came together to create a wooden boardwalk. The boardwalk was constructed so it could be used regardless of what stage, high or low, the tide was in.
The 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake
It was Good Friday, 1964, when suddenly, a peaceful afternoon was shattered by a 9.2 earthquake that savagely shook for 5 long minutes.
The land in Seldovia dropped many feet and the waterfront community was threatened by high tides, reaching as high as 32 feet. The boardwalk, businesses, and homes were flooded by water from Kachemak Bay.
The Seldovia waterfront has since been rebuilt and there is still a section of wooden planks that locals call, “the new boardwalk”.
BONUS
Do you want to know more about Seldovia?
Take a look at Seldovia, Alaska and discover.
Yes, Seldovia has bounced back several times.
So, if you’ve never visited this unique Alaska community on the shores of Katchamak Bay, you need to put it on your list of places to go.
BONUS
To enjoy more stories, photos, and videos, visit Anchorage Memories.com and enjoy.
Connect with Mike and Mary
Did you enjoy this look at the town of Seldovia, Alaska?
If you have a comment, you can reach us by replying to this email. Or you can Contact Us to say, “I’ve been on the boardwalk in Seldovia”.
By the way, are you enjoying the addition of our podcast feature? Please let us know.
Until next time
Mike and Mary
Alaska Stories
Join for FREE and get Alaska history, facts and memories from two Alaskans.