Seward’s founder John Ballaine, 58 “Pioneers,” and 25 Central Railway workers pulled into Resurrection Bay on August 28th, 1903.

Upon their arrival aboard the “Santa Ana”, they joined the sole family in the area, Mrs. Lowell and her family, and began expanding their new community just north of Lowell Point in earnest.

A year before, in 1902, the community of Seward narrowly escaped being named Vituska after Vitus Bering. But, the name Seward won out as the name of the post office. it was decided by Central Railway engineers and a historian while sailing north to that port aboard the “Bertha.

The community was officially named Seward by Ballaine when he arrived to begin building the support structures, including a dock for the Central Railway. The construction of the 412-mile line itself began in 1904.

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