The Popular, World-Famous, Seldovia, Alaska Boardwalk

In 1908, Seldovia’s “main street” was built along the beach and was only accessible at low tide.

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.

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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.

From our North Stars (that’s you)

From our look at Anchorage Movie Theatre Memories.

Helen sent us this:

“Lots of wonderful memories of these great old theaters, it was always a treat to go to a good movie and get hot buttered popcorn and a cold Coke! And I remember the Billiken Drive-in in Muldoon - my mom was the short-order cook there for a couple of seasons!”

And Patti remembers this:

“We used to be able to go to a movie for a cereal box top and a dime. I don't remember if it was Post box