The Buckner Homestead Historic District, near Stehekin, Washington in Lake Chelan National Recreation Area incorporates a group of structures relating to the theme of early settlement in the Lake Chelan area. Representing a time period of over six decades, from 1889 to the 1950s, the district comprises 15 buildings, landscape structures and ruins, and over 50 acres (200,000 m2) of land planted in orchard and criss-crossed by hand-dug irrigation ditches. The oldest building on the farm is a cabin built in 1889. The Buckner family bought the farm in 1910 and remained there until 1970, when the property was sold to the National Park Service. The Buckner Cabin was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The rest of the Buckner farm became a historic district in 1989. Today, the National Park Service maintains the Buckner homestead and farm as an interpretive center to give visitors a glimpse at pioneer farm life in the Stehekin Valley.
Read more about the Buckner Homestead Historic District and the Buckner family >>
Time Line
Information provided by the Buckner and Garfoot families. Early dates taken from a NPS interview with Harry Buckner in 1974.
| 1910 | William Van and May Buckner of Hanford, California purchased the Buzzard Homestead, 149 acres, from Bill Buzzard on Nov. 20, 1910 |
| 1911 | Van and May return to Stehekin in early spring with son, Frank, age 19. Sons Carroll ,17 and Harry, 15 came in May. They brought supplies and seedlings to plant an orchard and built a diversion ditch from Rainbow Ck. for irrigation. The path with bridges was built beside the ditch, presently called Buckner Lane. |
| 1912 | Stone fireplace built on the original Buzzard (1890) cabin. Outdoor laundry structure built next to a water box. |
| 1913 | Sleeping cabins built. |
| 1914 | The Buckner house, one of the sleeping cabins, was doubled in size and became Frank and Irene Buckner’s house. This was the start of 5 stages of construction over 45 years. |
| 1915 | Old wagon road built, crossing Rainbow Creek near the present day Gans cabin. A new barn, wagon shed and smokehouse (later to become the Delco house) built. |
| 1915-1916 | Harry Buckner, age 20, spent his first winter on the ranch, alone part of the winter. Frank and Irene went back to California for some of the winter. All of the family but Harry went back to California for the winters every year. |
| 1916 | Root cellar and milk separator house built. |
| 1917 | Harry Buckner married Olive Field, daughter of M.E and Mattie Field, owners of the Field Hotel. More orchard was planted in the west and north fields, bringing the total to 52 acres. |
| 1918 | June, Harry was drafted into the army and sent to France during World War I. Frank’s wife Irene died in California during the flu epidemic while he was in Stehekin. He went back to California and never returned to live on the ranch. |
| 1919 | Daughter, Irene Myra was born to Harry and Olive in Mar. and Harry returned from the War in May. |
| 1920 | Swimming pool and sundial built. |
| 1921 | Packing Shed foundation built. Daughter, Harriet Olive (Hobbie) was born. |
| 1922 | Packing shed finished. |
| 1924 | Playhouse built. Final 30 acres of orchard planted. |
| 1926 | Daughter, Elizabeth Joy (Bucky) was born. |
| 1946 | Shop (behind Buzzard cabin) built. |
| 1948 | Olive Buckner passed away. |
| 1953-1954 | Packing shed collapsed from snow load. |
| 1954 | Harry married Lena Ward |
| 1956 | Harry became the Stehekin Postmaster. |
| 1966 | Harry received award for 50 years of volunteer Stehekin weather observations for the Environmental Science Services Administration. |
| 1970 | Harry and Lena sold 108 acres of the original homestead, including all the buildings and orchard to the National Park Service. |
| 1970 | Phil and Wendy Garfoot moved onto the homestead, maintaining the site, raising their family, and making it their home. They frequently shared and hosted community events-weddings, graduations, retirements, birthdays, memorials, and cider making over the past 40 years. |
| 1974 | The original Buzzard log homestead cabin was listed on the National Register as a historic place. Son, Brun Garfoot was born. |
| 1976 | Harry passed away. |
| 1978 | Daughter, Liv Garfoot was born. |
| 1984 | Lena (Harry’s second wife) passed away. |
| 1989 | The Buckner orchard and remaining buildings were designated a historic district. |
| 1996 | Laurie Thompson was hired by the NPS to work at the Buckner Homestead to preserve the apple trees and the orchard. |
| 2000 | Buckner Homestead Heritage Foundation was established. |
| 2007 | Irene Buckner Sargo passed away. Phil Garfoot retired from the NPS. |
| 2009 | The first annual Buckner Homestead Harvest Festival was held in Oct. |
| 2010 | Phil Garfoot passed away. Buckner Homestead Centennial Kick-Off and 2nd annual Harvest Fest in Oct. |
| 2011 | Buckner Orchard Centennial |