Rockview was a bustling community during the days of early settlement in the Methow Valley. It was located between the Weeman Bridge and Big Valley on the north side of the Methow River. This land has been stewarded by the Methow People since time immemorial and still remains unceded.

The exact origins and endings of Rockview remain uncertain, but the community was likely formed soon after homesteads were claimed in the area. A few of the earliest families to homestead in the area were the Ventzkes in 1886, Boesels in 1889, and Wehmeyers in 1893. The early community of Rockview was commonly referred to as "Pasco," as many residents came from that town, in south central WA along the Columbia River. Farming and logging were the main drivers of industry. The demise of Rockview may have occurred with the closing of the last sawmill in the late 1930s, but this is unclear. Despite people still living in the area today, it is no longer referred to as Rockview.

More fun was to be had at the many dances and social gatherings of Rockview. Dances were a big part of the community, either held in people's homes, schoolhouses, or most notoriously the Rockview dance hall. The dance hall was built as a community building and grange which held more dances than any place else in the valley during the 1920s and 30s, all of which were well attended. If it was a Saturday night with less than a foot of snow on the ground, you could count on a lively dance at Rockview.

Everyone danced until midnight when they would stop to eat supper. At the height of prohibition a dancer could walk outside to find someone selling homemade beer or moonshine in the parking lot.

How has the significance of social gatherings changed throughout the years?

"Folks who brought babies had them all warm and cozy up over the kitchen where their coats also were. When the last dance was over haste was made to return home... wraps were donned, babies were picked up in their warm blankets. As it turned out no one had their own child. Some jokester or jokesters had switched those sleeping babies!"
- Methow Valley Pioneers, p. 867

Sawmills were one of the driving forces behind the community known as Rockview. Sawmills were plentiful in the Methow Valley and often moved around for new access to timber.

The first sawmill in Rockview was set up on Hank Johnsons’ property in 1892. William and Fred Wehmeyer, Hank Johnson, and Charlie McClurkin leased the sawmill from Guy Waring of Winthrop to mill wood for building homes and barns. The mill was moved to Winthrop in 1904.

In 1919 George Fender moved his sawmill from Bear Creek to the Rockview area just east of the Weeman Bridge. Shortly after, he bought a box factory and lumber yard in Twisp where the majority of the logs milled at Rockview were sent to be made into apple boxes for the growing orchard industry. Much like the previous Rockview mill, the Fender mill gained success from driving logs down the Methow River. Logging was done in the winter while the sawmill operated in the summer following big log drives.

The mill site was surrounded by many small buildings which served as cook shacks and bunkhouses for mill workers. The mill itself was burnt down and rebuilt twice. In 1929 George Fender opened up a store at the Rockview Fender Mill. In 1934 mill ownership went to Cecil Wetsel when George Fender died. Somewhere along the way Fender Mill went bankrupt and was purchased by Dan Gamble who continued to run the mill at Rockview until 1939, when the Wagner Lumber Company purchased and moved it to Twisp.