Buckner

History

The village was named after American Civil War Union veteran Moses Buckner (b. February 11, 1827, d. April 17, 1882), who served in the 15th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Cavalry. United Coal Mine No. 2 opened in 1911 in Buckner under the ownership of the United Coal Mining Company (later the United Coal Corporation). The mine was sold to the Old Ben Coal Corporation in 1960, and renamed Old Ben Coal Mine No. 14. Eight men were killed in an explosion in 1915, and one man was killed in a gas explosion in 1931. The mine was idle in 1933. Its last production was 1960. The opening of the mines attracted immigrant workers. A large number of miners arrived, many of them from Austria-Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia and many of Lemko and Rusyn origin. Along with the still standing Holy Protection Church in Royalton, Grand Tower, and Dowell. This village had a number of taverns and nightclubs and was known as one of the biggest entertainment areas of Franklin County from the 1950s to the early 1980s. in 2023 the last restaurant closed leaving only the liquor store left. In 2025 the restaurant reopened under a new name & company.

Geography

Buckner is located in west-central Franklin County. Illinois Route 14 passes through the village, leading east to Benton, the county seat, and west to Christopher. According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Buckner has a total area of , of which (or 97.65%) is land and (or 2.35%) is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  953
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  910
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  767
• Great Blue/Cocoi Heron

  Ardea herodias Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  764
• Ring-billed Gull

  Larus delawarensis Ord, 1815 · Aves
  709
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  665
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  633
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  592