Buchanan, Oregon

The community was named after the family of William D. Buchanan, who, with his sons Joe and George, homesteaded there beginning in 1886.^[3][4][5] Buchanan post office was established in 1911, with Hattie E. Buchanan the first postmaster.^[3] The office closed in 1919 but the area around the Buchanan Ranch is still known as Buchanan.^[3] By 1978 the community had a single store.^[6] Today Buchanan has a Burns mailing address and a business that includes a tractor repair shop, gas station, gallery, and free museum,^[7] all located within the only building in the community.^[8]

The school once stood along Little Rock Creek on the site of the present-day Buchanan Springs Rest Area on U.S. 20, a mile northeast of the community.^[4]

William Buchanan and his sons ran a stage stop at the top of the hill, north of the present-day Buchanan, on the former J. W. Buchanan ranch.^[4] The stop served the route from Vale to Burns.^[5] Meals for stagecoach passengers were 50 cents, while those traveling with horses only paid 35 cents, but they paid 25 cents per head for feed and water for their livestock.^[4] The stop was later run by Thomas Buchanan.^[5]

In the 21st century, Buchanan is a stop on the Eastern POINT intercity bus line between Bend and Ontario. It makes one stop per day in each direction.^[9]

Buchanan is in Harney County School District 4 (Crane School, grades K-8) and Harney County Union High School District 1J (Crane Union High School).^[10][11]