Buksnes

The administrative centre was located in the village of Gravdal where the main church for the municipality, Buksnes Church, is located. Other villages in Buksnes included Ballstad and Leknes. Prior to its dissolution in 1963, the 104 km2 municipality was the 521st largest by area out of the 705 municipalities in Norway. Buksnes Municipality was the 197th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of about 4,373. The municipality's population density was 42.1 PD/km2 and its population had decreased by 5.5% over the previous 10-year period.

• Name — Buksnes • Herred — yes • Former — yes • Id Number — 1860 • County — Nordland • District — Lofoten • Capital — Gravdal • Established — 1 Jan 1838 • Preceded — none • Disestablished — 1 Jan 1963 • Succeeded — Vestvågøy Municipality • Population Demonym — Buksnesfolk • Language — Bokmål • Mayor — Alsing Wik • Mayor Party — H • Mayor As Of — 1956-1962 • Elevation Max M — 955.91 • Area Rank — 521 • Area Total Km2 — 103.9 • Population As Of — 1962 • Population Rank — 197 • Population Total — 4373 • Population Density Km2 — 42.1 • Population Increase — -5.5

• Illustration — View of Gravdal 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.

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 non which means "sign" or "mark", possibly referring to a sea mark. The last element is which means "headland".

The Church of Norway had one parish (no) 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. Churches in Buksnes Municipality • Parish (no) — Church name — Location of the church — Year built • Buksnes — Buksnes Church — Gravdal — 1905

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 955.9 m 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 was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

The municipal council (Herredsstyre) of Buksnes Municipality 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.

The mayor (ordfører) of Buksnes Municipality 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: • 1838–1839: Rev. Andreas Daae • 1840–1843: Caspar Westerwaldt • 1844–1844: Rev. Andreas Daae • 1845–1854: Unknown • 1854–1854: Nils Andreas Schøning • 1855–1859: Unknown • 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: Peter E. Jentoft • 1875–1880: 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 • 1920–1926: S.L. Aasen • 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) • 1956–1962: Alsing Wik (H)

• 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