Photo Gallery

1830 – A log cabin was built by the Hudson Bay Company four miles west of Buckley

1874 – Coal was discovered at Wilkeson

1875 – Jerry Stilley, Buckley’s first permanent non-Native American resident, settled west of town

1877 –  A railroad was built to transport coal from Tacoma to Wilkeson

1882 – The site of Buckley was named “Perkins Prairie”

1884 – Northern Pacific built a railroad spur track from Cascade Junction to Buckley

1885 – Buckley’s first store was by  built by “Dad”  Chamberlain

1887 – Buckley’s first school was established

1887 – The town was renamed “Buckley” for J.M. Buckley, the Northern Pacific Railroad district superintendent

1888 – The first post office was established

1889 – “The Buckley Banner”, Buckley’s first newspaper was established

1890 – Buckley’s first church, an ME Church, was established

1892 – 12 businesses were destroyed by fire

1900  – At the turn of the century Mt. Rainier was know as Mt. Baldy

1902 – Buckley Library was established

1905 – Buckley’s first high school graduation was held

1905 – The Sweet Shoppe was opened by Mr. & Mrs. Overmeyer and has survived through the years to become the longest running business in Buckley with the same name and location.

1912 – Planked streets were replaced by pavement

1920 – large section of business district leveled by fire

1939 – Rainier State School was officially opened

1942 – Mud Mountain Dam was built

1988 – Buckley Centennial was celebrated

1989 – Filming in Buckley of ” Waiting for the light” was released starring Shirley MacLaine and Terri Garr