Winston - The Old Miner's Village

As you know, Holden Village began in 1937 as a copper mine owned by the Howe Sound Mining Company. Many homes were constructed and despite the isolation, a full thriving community began its life high in the Cascade mountains. Dormitories, a gymnasium, bowling alley, a mess hall, a K-12 school and a hospital were built for the miners and their families.

West of the Holden a group of small houses, named Winston, were constructed for families to live. Holden still hosts a miner's family reunion every so often. In 1957 price of copper spiraled downward and the mine was closed in a day. Families picked up their belongings and took the next boat out, seeking work in other mines. After everyone was gone, the Forest Service burned Winston to the ground to allow it to go back to it's natural state. The foundations and stairs to a life once lived are all that remains today.

Art and I took a walk yesterday evening to explore Winston and to see if any of the spring flowers had come up. Much of Winston is open for walking but the top most tier is covered with brush and a tangle of branches. This is where we headed last night.

We walked and discovered lilacs and daffodils coming up in the long abandoned gardens. We found an old cement garage and small streams cascading down through what once was terraced gardens.

Our walk came to a sudden end when this guy poked his head out of the bushes. His ruffled back told us that he now lived here and we should be gone.