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History · Methow

Methow dates to 1889, and 53% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 2001 on.

1889founded
0on the National Register
53%homes built before 1940
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Johannes Cater--Jaretac 15:27, 17 June 2009 (UTC) · Public domain
Quick answers

How Methow began

When was Methow founded?

1889

Methow dates its founding to 1889 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1894.

2020 census: 92137 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1894.The full story ↓

What stands out about Methow’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Methow are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Methow’s homes were built before 1938.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Methow’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Methow’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story

How Methow came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Methow.

Read it all →

Methow was founded in 1899 by W.A. Bolinger when he moved his store from the former mining boom-town at Squaw Creek (approx. 4 miles south). It is named after the Methow people, an Interior Salish people who lived in the area. The name "Methow" itself comes from the Okanogan placename /mətxʷú/, meaning "sunflower (seeds)". The unincorporated community has its own community center, post office, fire station, church, water system, and two parks. The Methow Store, originally built by W.A. Bolinger, was closed for decades, but reopened in 2024. The town's restaurant is currently closed. The town is one of the principal starting points for rafting along the Methow River.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Methow, 1889 to 2001

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1889
    FoundingMethow is established
  3. 1894Post officeThe Methow post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1934Born hereWilliam S. Skylstad is born here
  6. 21st century
  7. 2001On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Methow, decade by decade

Today8 recent
Methow Valley very smoky, August 20172017Methow Valley very smoky, August 2017Methow River2017Methow RiverMethow River2017Methow RiverMethowmarker2009MethowmarkerHwy 153 in2009Hwy 153 inMethow, Washington 20032007Methow, Washington 2003Methowcity2001MethowcityMethowsouth2000Methowsouth
On the map

Methow on the map in 2001

The U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Methow.

Methow on the 2001 USGS map2001Methow sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Methow.

Questions about Methow’s history

What year was Methow founded?

In 1889, according to Wikidata. Methow’s post office opened in 1894.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (8), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.