The William D. Buchanan family arrived in Harney County in 1886. The father and two sons, Joe and George, claimed land in the area which was to be given their name. The Buchanan's had a stage stop at the top of the hill, north of the present-day Buchanan, which is the former J. W. Buchanan ranch. Stage passengers paid fifty cents for a meal, those who had a team of horses or were traveling with a freight team were charged only 35 cents for their meal, but they paid 25 cents per head for feed and water for their horses. The School stood along the creek on the site of today’s Oregon highway rest area along Highway 20.