• Source: Winthrop, Washington

Winthrop is a town in Okanogan County, Washington, United States. It is east of Mazama and north of Twisp. The population was 394 at the 2010 census, and increased to 504 at the 2020 census. Winthrop adopted an Old West theme for its downtown architecture in 1971 to prepare for the opening of the North Cascades Highway.




History


Native Americans, including the Methow people, were the first inhabitants of Winthrop, with evidence of human habitation at least 8,000 to 10,000 years before present. They lived along the banks of the Methow, Twisp, and Chewuch rivers, digging camas root, picking berries, fishing, and hunting. Fur trappers visited the valley in the 19th century. The Columbia Reservation was established in 1879 by the federal government for Columbia Plateau tribes under the leadership of Chief Moses, but was eliminated to open the Methow Valley to American settlement on May 1, 1886.
In early 1868, placer gold was discovered in the Slate Creek District. The lure of gold brought the first permanent white settlers to the upper Methow Valley in the 1880s. A settlement, named Winthrop for adventurer and author Theodore Winthrop, was founded and received a post office on June 18, 1891. The town's first trading post and general store was opened in 1892 by Guy Waring of Boston, who moved with his family to the confluence of the Chewuch and Methow rivers a year before. He became the town's postmaster and unsuccessfully attempted to rename the town "Waring" despite local backlash. Waring later formed the Methow Trading Company and established several businesses; his family settled into the "Castle" (now the Shafer Museum).
The town was rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1893. Waring's original Duck Brand Saloon was built in 1891; it survived the fire and is now Winthrop's Town Hall. In 1894, a flood carried away the bridge at the north fork of the river at Winthrop. Colonel Tom Hart rebuilt the bridge in 1895 at Slate Creek. Winthrop's industry at this time consisted of a well-equipped sawmill, several dairies, raising cattle, and supplying the local mines with goods. Owen Wister, Waring's Harvard University roommate, wrote The Virginian, America's first western novel, after honeymooning in Winthrop.
Winthrop and the surrounding valley was incorporated into the Washington Forest Reserve by an executive order signed by President Grover Cleveland on February 22, 1897. The order prevented further settlement and development of the valley, but residents protested due to the area's existing use for agriculture; it was modified in 1901 to remove the valley from the protected area. The townsite of Winthrop was formally platted by Waring in 1904; a rival town named Heckendorn was established three years later but was later absorbed into Winthrop when it was incorporated on March 12, 1924. By 1915, most of the mines, except for a few in the Slate Creek area, had shut down.
The first plans to build an automobile road across the North Cascades from Bellingham Bay to the Columbia River were approved by the state legislature in 1893. The section through the Methow Valley and Winthrop was completed in 1909 as one of the first highways built by the Washington State Department of Highways and later paved in 1938. Construction of the final 30 miles (48 km) across the mountains did not begin until 1961 and was opened to traffic on September 2, 1972. In anticipation of the new highway and the projected tourist traffic through the town, a large-scale remodeling project was approved in 1971 with funding from a lumber magnate and local businesses. A two-block section of downtown was rebuilt to use 1890s Old West architecture, including false fronts and a boardwalk; by September 1972, 22 buildings had been remodeled. The early design work was contracted to Robert Jorgensen, one of the designers of the Bavarian theme town in Leavenworth, and the project was estimated to cost over $350,000. A design review board was established to maintain the architectural theme, enforced by a "Westernization" ordinance.




Geography


Winthrop lies at the confluence of the Methow and Chewuch rivers in the Methow Valley. The town is in the eastern foothills of the Cascade Mountains at an elevation of 1,760 feet (540 m). The Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest and state-managed Methow Wildlife Area surround the Methow Valley.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 0.94 square miles (2.43 km2), all land. Winthrop has a lake, Pearrygin Lake, that is a popular swimming hole.




= Climate

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Like most of the Inland Northwest, Winthrop has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dsb), with cold, snowy winters and very warm summers with cool nights and little rainfall. Winthrop and Mazama recorded the coldest temperature ever measured in Washington state at –48 °F (–44.4 °C) on December 30, 1968. The hottest temperature recorded in Winthrop was 109 °F (42.8 °C) on June 30, 2021, but frosts can occur even in summer.




Demographics



As of the 2010 census, there were 394 people, 205 households, and 109 families residing in the town. The population density was 419.1 inhabitants per square mile (161.8/km2). There were 300 housing units at an average density of 319.1 per square mile (123.2/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.5% White, 0.5% African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.3% of the population.
There were 205 households, of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.0% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.8% were non-families. 43.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.92 and the average family size was 2.59.
The median age in the town was 47.9 years. 17.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.8% were from 25 to 44; 35.4% were from 45 to 64; and 19% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.0% male and 51.0% female.




Arts and culture






= Attractions

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Winthrop is known for the American Old West design of all its buildings, making it a tourist destination. The town theme idea was inspired by the example of Leavenworth, Washington, which in turn was heavily based on Solvang, California. Winthrop is a popular cross-country skiing site, with over 120 miles (200K) of groomed trails. Events include the Winthrop Rhythm and Blues Festival, and the Methow Valley Chamber Music Festival. Winthrop is home to the oldest legal saloon in Washington state.




References






External links



Winthrop Chamber Website

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