Twisp in Okanogan County, Washington — The American West (Northwest)
Silver
Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, June 16, 2017
1. Silver Marker
Only Indians and a few trappers and prospectors knew this lovely valley until the Chief Moses Reservation was opened to settlement in 1886. Then homesteaders began arriving. In 1887, near the river, Jim Byrnes started a trading post. This became Silver, first town in the Methow Valley. Washed downstream by the Flood of '94, Silver rose again in the field behind this sign - a saloon, blacksmith shop and store with a dance hall above. Here the pioneers gathered for all-night hoedowns - and to welcome the weekly mail from Malott. But other towns were taking over. In 1900 the famous Red Shirt Mine on Pole Pick Mountain gave up the ghost. Four years later, Silver did too.
Erected by Okanogan County Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1886.
Location. 48° 18.992′ N, 120° 3.201′ W. Marker is in Twisp, Washington, in Okanogan County. It is on Methow Valley Highway (Washington Route 153) half a mile south of Lower Beaver Creek Road, on the right when traveling north.
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Washington’s Okanogan Highlands. It is also in the American Mountain West and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Cascade Range, the Pacific Rim, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 3 other markers are within 13 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: High Line Ditch (here, next to this marker); Winthrop (approx. 12.7 miles away); Methow (approx. 13.1 miles away).
Credits. This page was last revised on June 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 21, 2026, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photo 1. submitted on June 21, 2026, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. A wide view photo of the marker and the surrounding area together in context. • Can you help?
