Winton Washington (Near Coles Corner)

Closing marks the final chapter in Chelan County lumber mill history

Winton, Washington was established in 1892 as a camp for the Great Northern Railroad, complete with a train depot and worker housing. At that time, Winton became a thriving community.

By 1900 the village was large enough to merit the building of a schoolhouse. The original school house burnt down between 1921-1925, but was rebuilt in a similar fashion. In time the Winton Mill also opened, providing well over 100 jobs to local residents.

The Winton Mill and railroad were the main job draws to the town, as well as the Longview Fibre Mill. The main road through to Stevens Pass was Winton Road. The town was clustered along the train tracks, by the rail depot and between the Winton Mill.

Historic Winton Schoolhouse

The Winton Schoolhouse is currently located next to Beaver Valley Elementary School in Plain, WA. It was moved from Winton shortly after it's closure as a historic preservation project.

The town's isolation, despite being near Highway 2 and the popular Bavarian Village of Leavenworth just 16 miles away, and the continuing decline of the lumber industry meant that Winton's days were numbered. The school closed in 2000, after 100 years of operation, and was moved to the property of the Cascade School District in Plain, WA.

The final blow came in late 2006 when the Winton Lumber Mill shut its doors for the final time. Today, there are only a few families living at the area of Winton.

The site of Winton is now mostly occupied by farms. The old and once busy Winton railroad depot was physically moved away from the line into a nearby field.

Now when you are online, you'll see Winton is actually listed on a few Ghost Town websites. In the hearts of many, Winton will always be fondly remembered as very happy times.

In 2009 the building underwent a restoration thanks to volunteers.

If you would like to see for yourself where Winton once thrived, Driving along Highway 2, when you come to the Lake Wenatchee intersection (16 miles west of Leavenworth), turn in the opposite direction than you would if you were going to Lake Wenatchee. It's only a mile or two long but you will find yourself on the Winton Road where the lost community of Winton once thrived. Spend a few moments in history and take the drive.

Sadly, there is absolutely no history documented for the first 50 years of both the schoolhouse and the community itself.

Historic Photo Credits: Connie Nichols
Here is a link to Connie's personal write-up on her years at Winton School.

Photos below were taken in 2017 of the schoolhouse where it currently sits in Plain, Washington.