On February 23, 1896, the north half of the Colville Indian Reservation was thrown open for mineral entry, and within weeks, hordes of gold seekers flooded in and staked hundreds of claims. It has been estimated that as many as 1,500 prospectors and other outsiders were waiting just across the Columbia River. The story goes that signal fires were built when official word of the opening was received; these fires touched off a gold rush, and the mining frenzy was on.

          This is the area that would become known as Okanogan County—the mountains, valleys, and foothills of Moses, Tonasket, Joseph, and Sar-sarp-kin, famous Native American chiefs from another era. Men of the early West made a name for themselves in Okanogan County, men like Hiram F. “Okanogan” Smith, Jonathan Bourne Jr., Charles and Hazard Ballard, David McLoughlin, Guy Waring, Colonel Tom Hart, Alex Barron, Chee Saw, and many others. It’s the largest and one of the most fascinating counties in the state of Washington.

          Okanogan is a Salish Indian word meaning "rendezvous." Sometimes called "the late frontier," the Okanogan Valley was inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years before a succession of explorers, prospectors, miners, trappers, cattlemen, settlers, loggers, farmers, missionaries, and orchardists, providing in every respect a colorful history that is carried forward to the present day.


          From left to right, Chief Moses, Chief Tonasket, Chief Sar-sarp-kin. (Courtesy Okanogan Historical Society)

          Here, a person only has to use his or her imagination and to wander through long- forgotten ghost towns and abandoned town sites with distinctive names such as Ruby, Bodie, Gold Hill, Barron, Loup Loup, Nighthawk, Toroda, Sheridan, Circle City, and Silver, to mention just a few, to conjure images of the past. There’s much to hold the history buff’s attention, including legends of hidden gold and long-lost million-dollar mines, several of which are still searched for by treasure hunters today. Others find themselves intrigued by the age-old quest for gold. Several of the area’s historic boom towns of yesterday still stand today, places such as Gilbert, Loomis, Republic, Old Molson, Chesaw, Gold Hill, Nighthawk, Bodie, and Riverside—silent monuments to the past that have changed little in over a hundred years.

          Join us in exploring the ghost towns of Okanogan County. It’s an experience you won’t soon forget.


          Winthrop, still stands today, as a monument to the past gone by


          While its inhabitants may have abandoned the town, memories of Old Molson's glory days still linger in the weathered buildings of a ghost town that just refuses to give up the ghost

          We invite you to come step back in time on a Wild West ghost town adventure, and experience for yourself the history of Northeastern Washington. It’s an experience you won’t soon forget.

          AENEAS-Community Established Around 1908. Location: 21 Miles Southwest Of Republic, On West Fork Of San Poil River. Center Sec. 8, T35N , R31E.

          ALMA-Community Established Around 1888. Location: SW/NE SEC. 17, T33N, R26E. Town Platted August 20, 1904. On Site Of Present Day Okanogan.

          ANGLIN-Community Established Around 1902. Location: On Bonaparte Creek, Eight And One Half Miles Southwest Of Tonasket NW/NE SEC. 2 T36N,R28E,SW/SE SEC. 34, T37N,R28E.

          ANTOINE-Community Established Around 1908. Location: 6 Miles Northeast Of Tonasket SW/SW SEC. 32, T38N, R28E.

          BARRON-Community Established Around 1893. Location: West Side Of Hart’s Pass. About 3 Miles From The Cascade Summit.

          BECK-Community Established Around 1906. Location: On Loop Loop Creek, About 11 Miles By Road West Of Okanogan, About 9 Miles Northeast Of Malott NE/SE SEC. 17, T33N, R25E. Not Much Ever Existed Here.

          BODIE-Community Established Around 1898. Location: On Toroda Creek 4 Miles North Of Old Toroda, 15 Miles Northeast Wauconda SW SEC. 3, T38N, R31E.

          BOLSTER-Community Established Around 1898. Location: 2 Miles North Of Chesaw On Meyers Creek, 2 Miles From The Canadian Line NW/SE SEC. 9, T40N, R30E.

          BONAPARTE-Community Established Around 1903. Location: About 17 Miles Northeast Of Tonasket, 3 Miles West Of Havillah, On Antoine Creek NW/ NE SEC. 2, T38N, R28E.

          BREWSTER-Community Established Around 1903. Location: On Great Northern Railway, 7 Miles Northeast Of Pateros, 15 Miles Southwest Of Malott, On West Shore Of Columbia River, 5 Miles Below The Mouth Of The Okanogan River NE SEC.14, T30N, R24E.

          CARLTON-Community Established Around 1907. Location: In The Methow Valley 12 Miles Northwest Of The Town Of Methow. SW/NE SEC. 29, T32N, R22E.

          CHAPAKA-Community Established Around 1895. Location: 13 Miles North Of Loomis, 35 Miles West Of Oroville About One Half Mile West Of Similkameen River.

          CHESAW-Community Established Around 1898. Location: 11 Miles Southeast Of Molson SW SEC. 21, NW SEC. 28, T40N, R30E.

          CHANCELLOR-Community Established Around 1872. Location: Slate Creek Area, Hart’s Pass, Methow Valley.

          CIRCLE CITY-Community Established Around 1907. Location: Halfway Between Oroville And Molson, On Nine Mile Road.

          CLOVER-Community Established Around 1892. Location: On Salmon Creek, Three And One Half Miles Northeast Of Okanogan NE SEC. 36, T34N, R25E. Not Much Ever Existed Here.

          CONCONULLY-Community Established Around 1888. Location: 15 Miles Northwest Of Omak, On Salmon Creek SW SEC. 6, T35N, R25E. The Settlement Was First Called "Salmon City."

          COULEE DAM-Community Established Around 1934. Location: On North Columbia Riverbank Beside Grand Coulee Dam. NW SEC. 6, T28N, R31E.

          DISAUTEL-Community Established Around 1919. Location: 15 Miles Southeast Of Omak, Center SEC. 13, T33N, R28E.

          ELMER CITY-Community Established Around 1939. Location: 3 Miles North Of Coulee Dam Village, On East Shore Of Columbia W/NW/SW SEC. 20, T29N, R31E. Platted As "Elmertown" March 2, 1937.

          EPLEY-Community Established Around 1906. Location: On Pogue Flat, 2 Miles Northwest Of Omak NW SEC. 27, T34N, R26E.

          GILBERT-Community Established Around 1909. Location: Twisp River Valley.

          GOLD HILL-Camp Founded Around 1880. Location: On Gold Hill 6 Miles Due West Of Loomis.

          GOLDEN-Community Established Around 1889. Location: 6 Miles Southwest Of Oroville On Northwest Corner Of Wannacut Lake, SE/NE SEC. 11, T39N, R26E.

          HASSAN-Community Established Around 1910. Location: Sprang Up In The Pine Creek Area About 15 Miles Southwest Of Tonasket. SW SEC. 25, T37N, R25E.

          HAVILLAH-Community Established Around 1905. Location: 20 Miles Southeast Of Oroville Near Head Of Antoine Creek SW SEC. 32, T39N, R29E.

          IVES-Community Established Around 1896.
          Location: On The Columbia River At The Northeast Edge Of Present Day Pateros NE SEC. 36 T30N, R23E. This Was Called "Ives Landing" Also "Central Ferry."

          KARTAR-Community Established Around 1922. Location: About 32 Miles Northwest Of Grand Coulee Village, About 9 Miles South Of Omak Lake SW SEC. 34, T31N, R28E.

          KIPLING-Community Established Around 1901. Location: About 9 Miles Southwest Of Chesaw On Tonasket Creek NW/NE SEC. 5, T39N, R29E.

          KNOB HILL-Community Established Around The Early 1900s. Location: About 10 Miles Southwest Of Chesaw.

          LOOMIS-Community Established Around 1891. Location: 16 Miles Northwest Of Tonasket On Sinlahekin Creek Center SEC. 1, T38N, R25E. Originally Called "Loomistown."

          LOOP LOOP-Community Established Around 1888. Location: 8 Miles South Of Conconully SE/SE/NW SEC.31, T35N, R25E. Loop Loop Was The First Town In Okanogan County To Be Platted, August 14, 1888.

          MALOTT-Community Established Around 1890. Location: 15 Miles Northeast Of Brewster, 9 Miles Southwest Okanogan, On Okanogan River At Mouth Of Loop Loop Creek SW/SW SEC. 9, T32N, R25E.

          MAZAMA-Community Established Around 1900. Location: 14 Miles Northwest Of Winthrop On The Methow River SE SEC. 25, T36N, R19E.

          METHOW-Community Established Around 1894. Location: On Methow River, 9 Miles Northwest Of Pateros NW SEC. 2, T30N, R22E.

          MISSION-Established As St. Mary’s Mission Around 1889. LOCATION: About 7 Miles Southeast Of Omak On Omak Creek Center SEC. 9, T33N, R27E.

          MOLSON-Community Established Aroud 1900. Location: 15 Miles Northeast Of Oroville Center SEC. 8, T40N, R29E.

          MONSE-Community Established Around 1916. Location: On Okanogan River, 7 Miles Northeast Of Brewster, On West Side Of The River And On Great Northern Railway. Center SEC. 34, T31N, R25E.

          NESPELEM-Community Established Around 1899. Location: 34 Miles Southeast Of Omak, 18 Miles North Of Grand Coulee, On Nespelem River SW SEC. 19, NW SEC. 30 T31N, R31E, SE SEC. 24. NE SEC. 25, T31N, R30E.

          NIGHTHAWK-Community Established Around 1902. Location: On Great Northern Railway, 12 Miles West Of Oroville, 12 Miles North Of Loomis, On Similkameen River NW SEC. 13, T40N, R25E.

          NINE MILE-The Nine Mile community was located west of Molson on what is known today as Nine Mile Road.

          OKANOGAN-Community Established Orignally As "Alma" About 1888. Location: 4 Miles Southwest Of Omak, On Great Northern Railway, 9 Miles Northeast Of Malott, At Junction Of Salmon Creek With The Okanogan River. NW SEC. 16, T33N, R26E.

          OKANOGAN CITY-Community Established Around 1860. Location: It Was Reportedly On The North Side Of The Similkameen River, Somewhere Between Nighthawk And Shanker’s Bend.

          OLEMA-Community Established Around 1896. Location: Seven And One Half Miles West Of Malott On Chiliwhist Creek NE SEC. 10, T32N, R24E.

          OMAK-Community Established Around 1902. Location: On Great Northern, 4 Miles North Of Okanogan On West Bank Of The Okanogan River S SEC. 26, NW SEC. 35, T34N, R26E.

          OPHIR-Community Established Around 1890. Location: On Great Northern Railway, 5 Miles South Of Malott On The West Side Of The Okanogan River NW SEC. 5, T31N, R25E.

          OROVILLE-Community Established Around 1893. Location: On Great Northern Railway, 16 Miles North Of Tonasket, 4 Miles South Of The Canadian Line, At The Southern End Of Osoyoos Lake From Which Flows The Okanogan River . E SEC. 28, T40N, R27E.

          PATEROS-Community Established Around 1895. Location: On Great Northern Railway, 19 Miles Northeast Of Chelan, 30 Miles Southwest Of Okanogan, At Junction Of Methow And Columbia Rivers. SW SEC. 36, T30N, R23E.

          PONTIAC RIDGE-Community Established Around 1903-1904. Location: Southwest Of Chesaw On Pontiac Ridge.

          RIVERSIDE-Community Established Around 1900. Location: On The Okanogan River, 7 Miles North Of Omak. Center SEC. 25, T35N, R26E.

          ROBINSON-Community Established Around 1900. Location: 9 Miles Northwest Of Mazama At The Junction Of Robinson Creek With The West Fork Of The Methow River, On Harts Pass Road. SE SEC. 36, T37N, R18E.

          RUBY-Community Established Around 1888. Location: 7 Miles Southeast Of Conconully. SE/SW SEC. 29, T35N, R25E.

          RUSSELLVILLE-Community Established Around 1908. Location: In The Hills Up Aeneas Creek, In The Aeneas Valley.

          SHERIDAN-Community Established Around 1897. Location: Sheridan Mountain, East Of Toroda.

          SILVER-Community Established Around 1890. Location: 5 Miles Southeast Of Twisp On The Methow River NW/SW SEC. 35, T33N, R22E. About Three Quarters Of A Mile From Where Beaver Creek Joins The Methow River.

          SWANSEA-Community Established Around 1892. Location: Upriver About 6 Miles From Virginia City And 2 Miles Beyond The Mouth Of The Okanogan River. NW/NW SEC. 17, NE/NE SEC. 18, T30N, R25E.

          SYNAREP-Community Established Around 1908. Location: Tunk Valley, Just Above Where The County Road Crossed Tunk Creek.

          SQUAW CREEK-Community Established Around 1889. Location: Methow Valley, One Mile Up Its Namesake Creek.

          TORODA-Community Established Around 1897. Location: 4 Miles Northeast Of Wauconda.

          TONASKET-Community Established Around 1892. Location: 24 Miles North Of Omak 16 Miles South Of Oroville, 40 Miles West Of Republic On The Okanogan River And Great Northern Railway. SEC. 16, T37N, R27E.

          TWISP-Community Established Around 1898. Originally Known As "Gloversville" In 1897. Location: On Methow River, 34 Miles Northwest Of Pateros . Common Corner SEC.’S 7,8,17 And 18, T33N, R22E.

          VIRGINIA CITY-Community Established Around 1893. Orginally Known As "Virginia Bills." Location: At The North End Of The Present Bridge Over The Columbia River At Brewster And Now A Part Of Brewster. SW/SW SEC. 14, T30N, R24E.

          WAUCONDA-Community Established Around 1898. Location: 22 Miles Northeast Of Tonasket, 17 Miles Northwest Of Republic. NE SEC. 10, T37N, R30E. This Is One And One Half Miles Southwest Of The Site Of Old Wauconda.

          WEHESVILLE-Community Established During The 1880s And 1890s. Location: Wannicut Lake Area, In A Remote Canyon Valley.

          WINTHROP-Community Established Around 1890. Location: 44 Miles Northwest Of Pateros At Forks Of Methow and Chewuch Rivers. SW SEC. 2, T34N, R21E.