Buckley, located on the south side
of the White River, is nestled in the cascade Foothills. Originally it
became known as "Perkins Prairie" in 1882. In 1884 the Northern
Pacific Railroad built a spur track from Cascade Junction to Buckley.
The settlement was renamed "White River Siding" by the railroad. In
1888 the railroad constructed tracks through Buckley to Stampede Pass and
renamed in "Buckley" after Division Superintendent J.M. Buckley.A plat was filed for the town on May 23, 1888 by Alexander Wickersham. The town was incorporated on May 22, 1890 and William Batholemeu became the town's first mayor. Buckley's first school was established in 1887 on the west side where the present Wickersham school of Discovery is. In 1892 a school was built on the site where the current White River High School still stands on 'A' Street. By 1889 the town had grown to where they needed a newspaper so The Buckley Banner, which was to chronicle Buckley's growth for nearly a century, was started.
Since Buckley is located close to the mountains today, it attracts equestrians, hikers, hunter, cyclists, etc. The present Buckley,
with 4,006 residents, offers
fine restaurants, quaint shopping, professional and other services and
businesses as well as a museum with local history. |
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Because of its proximity to an excellent quality and
quantity of timber to the east, the town prospered with its sawmills and
shingle mills. As the timber was depleted, farmers discovered the rich
soil of the surrounding plateau land and agriculture became a primary
industry.