Buckley, Washington
Location of Buckley, Washington
Coordinates: 47°9′44″N 122°1′40″W / 47.16222, -122.02778
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Pierce
Area
- Total	3.9 sq mi (10.1 km²)
- Land	3.9 sq mi (10.0 km²)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.1 km²)
Elevation	725 ft (221 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	4,145
- Density	1,072.7/sq mi (414.2/km²)
Time zone	Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
- Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP code	98321
Area code(s)	360
FIPS code	53-08570[1]
GNIS feature ID	1517059[2]

Buckley is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 4,145 at the 2000 census.

Buckley hosts a loggers' rodeo during the last full weekend of June.

Geography

Near the towns of Enumclaw, Bonney Lake, and Wilkeson, Buckley is located at 47°9′44″N, 122°1′40″W (47.162250, -122.027744)^[3].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.9 square miles (10.1 km²), of which, 3.9 square miles (10.0 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (1.02%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 4,145 people, 1,396 households, and 995 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,072.7 people per square mile (414.6/km²). There were 1,472 housing units at an average density of 380.9/sq mi (147.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.78% White, 0.63% African American, 1.13% Native American, 0.77% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 0.55% from other races, and 2.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.81% of the population.

There were 1,396 households out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $49,453, and the median income for a family was $54,900. Males had a median income of $43,409 versus $29,688 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,744. About 3.6% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

Buckley is the home of Company A, 1st Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), a Special Forces National Guard unit.

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 west of Buckley.
• 1875
  • Coal discovered at Wilkeson
  • 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.
  • June 17 New school built at present site of White River Middle School on A Street.
  • First church built.
  • World’s Fair- 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 Mt. 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.
• 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.
• 2004 White River High School moved to a new location in a brand new facility.

White River High School

Buckley's only high school is White River High School. It's mascot is the Hornets, not to be confused with the Enumclaw hornets, who retained the same mascot after a split from White River. Formerly before the merge of the schools the mascot for Buckley was the Mountaineers in reference to Mt. Rainier. White River competes in most sports excluding water sports. They are better than the Enumclaw Hornets at every competition. Feeder communities to WRHS outside the city limits include Carbonado, Wilkeson, Huckle Chuck, Fairfax, Burnett, Spiketon, and Bonney Lake.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
2. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
3. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.

External links

• City of Buckley
  • Buckley Chamber of Commerce
• Annual Loggers' Rodeo

• Buckley, Washington is at coordinates 47°09′44″N 122°01′40″W / 47.16225, -122.027744 (Buckley, Washington)Coordinates: 47°09′44″N 122°01′40″W / 47.16225, -122.027744 (Buckley, Washington)

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