Winthrop Washington Tapestry

Native Americans were the first inhabitants of Winthrop, living along the banks of the Methow, Twisp, and Chewuch rivers. The first white men to visit the valley were trappers in the 19th century. In the spring of 1868, placer gold was discovered and the lure of gold brought the first permanent white settlers, three of whom were James Ramsey, Ben Pearrygin, and Guy Waring. Waring stopped at the forks of the Chewuch and Methow rivers in 1891. His family settled into the "Castle" (now the Shafer Museum). Although Waring is the acclaimed founding father, the town is named after Theodore Winthrop, an adventure traveler, and gifted 19th-century author. The town was rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1893 and was officially incorporated in 1924.