About The frontiersman. [volume] (Seldovia, Alaska) 1946-19??
Seldovia, Alaska (1946-19??)

The Frontiersman

The Frontiersman's first issue was on November 20, 1946, and was started by Viola Daniels. Daniels distributed the first issue free to all residents of Seldovia and wrote in an introductory editorial that the paper would focus on local news and items of interest to the people of Seldovia. To that end, Daniels solicited anyone to come forward with news of social events or happenings that could be featured in the paper. The paper was a small, mimeographed, six-page bi-weekly paper. Daniels explained in the November 30, 1946, issue that the name "Frontiersman" had originally come from the editor of the Forty-Ninth Star, Ed Fortier, and she chose it because "it paints a glowing picture of what we believe lies in the future for us here," and hinted at the growth of Seldovia that she believed in. Daniels apologized in the December 18, 1946, issue for the imperfect state of the mimeograph copies and explained that the low temperatures were negatively affecting both the ink and stencils that she used. True to the paper's original expressed mission, the Frontiersman reported on local news, social events, and comings and goings.

Daniels penned her farewell to Seldovia and the Frontiersman in the August 30, 1947, issue. Daniels argued strongly for improvements in the town's appearance, including painting houses, cleaning up yards and beaches, and creating a garbage collection system. Daniels wrote that these improvements would help make the town more attractive to tourists, and she said in her final issue that a town as friendly as Seldovia should not lack "any of the good things which make for better living." Daniels moved to Palmer where she started the Valley Frontiersman.

Pat and Lee O'Brien took over as editors for the Frontiersman after Daniels left, and they were intent on continuing the paper's progressive direction and staying out of non-local news. One of the first issues from the O'Briens, on September 6, echoed a complaint of Daniels that Seldovia did not have proper recreational facilities for children and that school was viewed as just a way to keep kids busy. The O'Briens argued that whether children became "a credit or detriment to our community" depended on what they did in their spare time as the citizens of the community. The Homer Homesteader reported on December 29, 1947, that the O'Briens had temporarily suspended the publication of the Frontiersman, but the exact date the Frontiersman ended is unknown.

Provided by: Alaska State Library Historical Collections