Buksnes Municipality

The municipality of Buksnes was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 July 1919, the southeastern district of Buksnes Municipality (population: 2,272) was separated from it to create the new Hol Municipality. The split left Buksnes Municipality with 3,188 inhabitants. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1963, Buksnes Municipality (population: 4,416) was merged with the neighboring Borge Municipality (population: 4,056), Hol Municipality (population: 3,154), and Valberg Municipality (population: 662) to create the new Vestvågøy Municipality.{{Cite web |last=Jukvam |first=Dag |year=1999 |title=Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen |url=http://www.ssb.no/emner/00/90/rapp_9913/rapp_9913.pdf |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |isbn=9788253746845}}

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Buksnes farm (historically: Buxnnæs) since the first Buksnes Church was built there. The meaning of the name is uncertain, but the first element may be derived from {{lang|non|buks}} which means "sign" or "mark", possibly referring to a sea mark. The last element is {{wikt-lang|non|nes}} which means "headland".{{Cite book |last=Rygh |first=Oluf |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4i5MAQAAIAAJ |title=Norske gaardnavne: Nordlands amt |date=1905 |publisher=W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri |edition=16 |location=Kristiania, Norge |page=333 |language=no |authorlink=Oluf Rygh}}

The Church of Norway had one parish ({{lang|no|sokn}}) within Buksnes Municipality. At the time of the municipal dissolution, it was part of the Buksnes prestegjeld and the Lofoten prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

The municipality was located on the western part of the large island of Vestvågøya. Borge Municipality was located to the northeast, Valberg Municipality was to the east, Hol Municipality was located to the south, and Flakstad Municipality was located to the west (on the island of Flakstadøya). The highest point in Buksnes Municipality is the {{convert|955.9|m|adj=on}} tall mountain Himmeltindan, which was located on the border with neighboring Borge Municipality.

While it existed, Buksnes Municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.{{Cite encyclopedia |title=kommunestyre |encyclopedia=Store norske leksikon |publisher=Kunnskapsforlaget |url=https://snl.no/kommunestyre |date=2022-09-20 |editor-last=Hansen |editor-first=Tore |language=Norwegian |editor2-last=Vabo |editor2-first=Signy Irene |accessdate=2022-10-14}} The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

The mayor ({{langx|no|ordfører}}) of Buksnes was the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position (incomplete list):{{Cite web |title=Den kommunale administrasjon |url=https://www.vhl-historielag.com/sites/default/files/bygdebok2/den_kommunale_administrasjon.htm |access-date=2024-08-05 |publisher=Vestvågøy historielag |language=no}}

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

• 1838-1839: Andreas Daae
• 1840-1843: Caspar Westerwaldt
• 1844-1844: Andreas Daae
• 1854-1854: Nils Andreas Schøning
• 1860-1860: Johan Dybfest Iversen
• 1861-1866: Johan Rist
• 1866-1870: Nils Andreas Schøning
• 1870-1871: Johan Rist
• 1871-1872: Kristian T. Stillesen
• 1873-1874: P.E. Jentoft
• 1876-1880: Jacob L. Jentoft
• 1881-1884: Johan Larsen Storfjord
• 1885-1886: Johan Rist
• 1886-1888: Petter L. Wulff
• 1889-1890: Mathias Salomonsen
• 1890-1890: Petter L. Wulff
• 1891-1892: Fredrik W. Wulff
• 1893-1894: Mathias Salomonsen Leknes
• 1895-1896: Fredrik W. Wulff
• 1896-1896: Jørgen Pedersen Ballstad
• 1897-1897: Mathias Salomonsen Leknes
• 1898-1900: Jørgen Pedersen Ballstad
• 1901-1904: Heitman Hansen
• 1905-1911: S.L. Aasen
• 1912-1914: Ingvald Johansen Myklevik
• 1915-1916: S.L. Aasen
• 1917-1919: Andreas Tetlie
• 1919-1919: Mathias Salomonsen Leknes
• 1926-1932: Oluf Svendsen Haug
• 1933-1934: P.A. Pedersen Ballstad
• 1935-1937: Jens Finstad
• 1938-1941: P.A. Pedersen Ballstad
• 1941-1941: B. Fiksdal
• 1942-1943: Harald Leknes
• 1943-1945: J. Seljeseth
• 1945-1945: Schj. Salomonsen
• 1945-1945: P.A. Pedersen Ballstad
• 1946-1951: Rolf Jentoft Ballstad (V)
• 1952-1955: Børge Fiksdal (Ap){{Cite news |date=1952-01-10 |title=Ordførervalg |url=https://www.nb.no/items/c170306f306b3848a31b354f3b936c40?page=5 |access-date=2024-08-05 |work=Arbeiderbladet |page=7 |language=no}}
• 1956-1962: Alsing Wik (H){{cite news|language=no|accessdate=2024-08-05|url=https://www.nb.no/items/b13d991776b12eed82f810d006e62803?page=3|title=Alsing Wik (H) ordfører i Buksnes|date=1955-12-15|newspaper=Nordlands Framtid|page=4}}

{{div col end}}

The municipal council {{lang|no|(Herredsstyre)}} of Buksnes was made up of 21 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.

{{div col}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Buksnes

|herad = yes

|start = 1960

|end = 1963

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1960 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xii_022.pdf |access-date=2020-03-18 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=Norwegian |location=Oslo}}

|Total = 21

|Arbeiderpartiet = 8

|Høyre = 5

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 2

|Senterpartiet = 4

|Venstre = 2

|note = On 1 January 1963, Buksnes Municipality became part of Vestvågøy Municipality.

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Buksnes

|herad = yes

|start = 1956

|end = 1959

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1957 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xi_252.pdf |access-date=2020-03-18 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=Norwegian |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|Total = 21

|Arbeiderpartiet = 7

|Venstre = 3

|Borgerlige_Felleslister = 9

|Local_Lists = 2

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Buksnes

|herad = yes

|start = 1952

|end = 1955

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1952 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xi_120.pdf |access-date=2020-03-18 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=Norwegian |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|Total = 21

|Arbeiderpartiet = 10

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 1

|Venstre = 3

|Borgerlige_Felleslister = 7

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Buksnes

|herad = yes

|start = 1948

|end = 1951

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1948 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_x_165.pdf |access-date=2020-03-18 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=Norwegian |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|Total = 21

|Arbeiderpartiet = 8

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 1

|Venstre = 3

|Borgerlige_Felleslister = 9

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Buksnes

|herad = yes

|start = 1945

|end = 1947

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1947 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_x_133.pdf |access-date=2020-03-18 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=Norwegian |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|Total = 21

|Arbeiderpartiet = 10

|Senterpartiet = 1

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 2

|Venstre = 2

|Borgerlige_Felleslister = 6

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Buksnes

|herad = yes

|start = 1938

|end = 1941*

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1938 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_ix_133.pdf |access-date=2020-03-18 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=Norwegian |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|Total = 16

|Borgerlige_Felleslister = 10

|Arbeiderpartiet = 6

|}}

{{div col end}}

• Leonhard Christian Borchgrevink Holmboe (1802-1887), a Lutheran clergymen who was the vicar in Buksnes
• Arnold Carl Johansen (1898–1957), a member of the Norwegian Parliament from Nordland
• Gerhard Schøning (1722-1780), a historian
• Harald Sverdrup (1923–1992), a poet and children's writer

• List of former municipalities of Norway

{{reflist}}

{{use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}

{{sister bar|auto=y|d=y|commonscat=y|voy=Lofoten|wikt=Buksnes}}

{{Nordland}}

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Category:Vestvågøy

Category:Former municipalities of Norway

Category:1838 establishments in Norway

Category:1963 disestablishments in Norway

Category:Populated places established in 1838

Category:Populated places disestablished in 1963