Map of Buckley city, Washington

Buckley is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States, founded in 1882. The population was 5,114 at the 2020 census. Buckley sits below Mount Rainier and is well known for hosting the annual Log Show.

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History

Taken from the files of the City of Buckley and Buckley Library

• 1856 Decisive battle of Indian War fought at Connell’s Prairie, 6 miles (10 km) west of Buckley. It was significant because it boosted the morale of the settlers because it was such a great victory with no casualities to the regulars or volunteers.
• 1875
  • Coal discovered at Wilkeson
  • Jeremiah ‘Jerry’ Stilley, first permanent non-Indian resident, settled West of town.
• 1877 Railroad built from Tacoma to Wilkeson to transport coal.
• 1882 Town named “Perkin’s Prairie”
• 1884 Northern Pacific built railroad spur track from Cascade Junction (between South Prairie and Buckley) to Perkin’s Prairie. Town given name “White River Siding” by railroad men.
• 1885 Town’s first store erected by “Dad” Chamberlain.
• 1887
  • Town renamed “Buckley” for J.M. Buckley, Northern Pacific Railway district superintendent.
  • First school established.
• 1888 Town site platted by Alexander and Mary Wickersham. Town booming with lumber and shingle mills springing up overnight.
• 1889
  • First post office established.
  • District Court appointed five men as trustees of the Town of Buckley.
  • First newspaper printed and published in Buckley – The Buckley Banner.
• 1890
  • Town incorporated by electorate.
• 1890
  • Buckley Lodge 75, IOOF, chartered.
  • Western Star Lodge, F&AM, chartered.
• 1891 Land donated for Buckley cemetery.
• 1892
  • May 5 Business District almost wiped out fire. Started on second story of the Buckley Lumber Store. Many brick buildings built after this fire still stand on Main Street.
  • June 17 New school built at present site of White River School District building on A Street.
  • First permanent church built.
  • World’s Fair in Chicago, Illinois – Buckley Mills sell wood, shingles, and supplies to be used at the World’s Fair Exhibit Buildings
  • First organized water system established.
• 1893
  • February 24 Fire Department in Buckley was established. Dr. JH Sheets was selected as an honorary member to act as a surgeon
• 1894
  • October 17 First fire dept. dance. Ladies-free Men-$0.25 Children as spectators for $0.10
• Eola Rebekah Lodge chartered.
• 1895
  • July 6 Discussion of entering first 4th of July parade, uniforms and plans to build station were finalized
• 1897 Women’s Musical & Literary Club founded.
• 1898 Business district razed by fire. First high school classes held, building erected.
• 1900 Mount Rainier Chapter, OES, chartered.
• 1902
  • Addition built on schoolhouse.
  • Degree of Honor chartered.
  • First library established.
• 1905 First high school graduation held.

• 1906 Buckley Aerie 1387, FOE, chartered.
• 1907
  • Gravity water system built; water stored in reservoir still in use by town.
  • First general use of electricity.
• 1909
  • Marion Grange chartered.
  • School burned to ground.
  • Town established fire department to replace Columbia Hose Company, a private fire-fighting group.
• 1910 New brick school built on A Street.
• 1911
  • White River Power Plant completed. (Headwork, flume, powerhouse.)
  • Present town hall built.
• 1912 Plank streets replaced by paving.
• 1914 Wickersham elementary school built.
• 1920 Large section of business district leveled by fire.
• 1923 Vocational unit added to high school building.
• 1927 FOE Auxiliary 1387 chartered.
• 1928 Buckley Kiwanis Club chartered.
• 1929 Town purchased pumper fire truck to replace hand-drawn equipment.
• 1931 Carbon Glacier Post 1414, VFW, chartered.
• 1932 Rainier State School opens.
• 1937 Buckley Garden Club organized.
• 1939
  • Rainier School officially opened.
  • Work commenced on Mud Mountain Dam on White River.
• 1942 Mud Mountain Dam completed.
• 1944 Buckley railroad logging ended with closure of Buckley Logging Company mill.
• 1946 City limits extended to include Rainier School and farms south of town.
• 1947
  • Last company-operated coal mining discontinued.
  • Additional construction at Rainier School.
• 1948 Kindergarten class instituted.
• 1949
  • Additional construction at Rainier School.
  • Buckley and Enumclaw school districts consolidated.
• 1950 Buckley Business & Professional Women’s Club chartered.
• 1951 Rural Fire District No. 12 organized.
• 1952
  • New fire station built.
  • Additional construction at Rainier School.
  • Sewage disposal plant built.
• 1953
  • Purchase of a 1941 Packard as first aid car by fire dept. for $945
  • Wickersham school annex built.
  • White River School District (Buckley-Enumclaw) de-consolidated.
• 1955 Buckley Planning Commission created.
• 1956
  • New gymnasium built at high school.
  • Ida Marge Orthopedic Guild chartered.
• 1957
  • Town established natural gas utility.
  • Buckley Junior Chamber of Commerce chartered.
• 1958 New street signs erected.
• 1959 Northern Pacific railroad depot torn down.
• 1989 Filming of “Waiting for the Light” released 1990, Starring Shirley MacLaine and Teri Garr
• 2003 Elk Head Brewery opened its doors.
• 2003 White River High School moved to a new location in a brand new facility.
• 2010 White River girls varsity soccer team reached the 2A WIAA State title game. Taking Second to Sehome High School.
• 2012 White River football was played at Sheets Field for the first time since 2002.
• 2015 This fall White River hosted Enumclaw at Sheets Field for the “Battle of Fullway.” White River won the last game played at Sheets against Enumclaw in 2002 but Enumclaw beat White River

Buckley Road Map

Buckley city Satellite Map

Geography

Buckley is located at 47°9′44″N 122°1′40″W / 47.16222°N 122.02778°W / 47.16222; -122.02778 (47.162250, -122.027744) near the communities of Enumclaw, Bonney Lake, and Wilkeson.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.95 square miles (10.23 km), of which, 3.87 square miles (10.02 km) is land and 0.08 square miles (0.21 km) is water.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Buckley has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated “Csb” on climate maps.

See also