For
9000 years Native Americans lived along the banks of the
Methow, Twisp and Chewuch rivers, digging camas root, picking
berries, fishing and hunting. The first white men to visit
the valley were trappers in the 1800's.
But
it was in 1883 when the lure of gold brought the first permanent
white settlers, three of which were James Ramsey, Ben Pearrygin
and Guy Waring. Waring stopped at the forks of the Chewuch
and Methow rivers in 1891 where he and his family settled
into the "Castle" (now the Shafer
Museum).
Although Waring is the acclaimed founding father, the town
is named after Theodore Winthrop, a Yale graduate, adventurer/traveler
and gifted 19th century author. The town was rebuilt after
a devastating fire in 1893. Waring's original Duck Brand
Saloon (considered the best run saloon in the country by
numerous church publications) was built in 1891.
It
survived the fire and is now Winthrop's Town Hall. Waring's
"Methow Trading Company" operated for 49 years
beginning in 1897.
Owen Wister, Waring's Harvard roommate, wrote The Virginian,
American's first western novel, after honey-mooning in Winthrop.
In
1972, when State Highway 20 was nearing completion over
the North Cascades, several business people began planning
for travelers passing through the town. Mrs. Kathryn Wagner
and her husband Otto came up with the idea of a western
restoration. All of the local merchants pitched in financially
and Mrs. Wagner paid the balance for the reconstruction,
painting and new signs.
The
architect and designer was Robert Jorgenson of Leavenworth,
Washington who wanted "to make the design as authentic
as possible in order to preserve the spirit of the valley".
The original signs were created by Chet Endrezzi.
Cattle
drives, medicine shows, pack trains and the mystique of
the old west are still part of the Methow Valley experience.
Almost completely surrounded by National Forest, State Game
Range and Wilderness areas, Winthrop and the upper Methow
Valley beckons adventurers of all kinds.
