Harry and Louisa Buzby and children Bessie and Jayson

The Buzby Family – An Alaska Pioneer Family A A A

Buzby Family History

I hope you enjoy these stories and online articles that pertain to our family's history. If you know of any others in books or online, or you have some stories or family history you would like to contribute to this site, please let me know.

The Buzby Family, Harry & Louisa Buzby, Pioneers in Alaska

Beverly Redhead Colapietro is a descendant from the Jay Buzby branch of the family. Her mother was Jay and Isabel's daughter, Esther Buzby Redhead. Beverly was invited to participate in the Valdez Museum & Historical Archive's "Tuesday Nite History Talk" on the topic of our pioneering Buzby Family.

For her presentation of the history of the Buzbys in Alaska she prepared a very entertaining and informative slideshow. Read this downloadable version of the presentation. It can also be printed if you wish.

Buzby Family Descendant Chart
This chart, Descendants of John Buzby, shows our family ancestors going back to England in the 1600s.

Early Days in Montana -- Reminiscence by Harry Buzby
In 1879, at age 16, Harry Buzby spent the winter hunting bison in eastern Montana. This narrative is his story of that winter. Special thanks to Penny for preserving this first-person historic manuscript and to Jerry and Lynn for sending me a copy of this piece of history.

Here is a printable version.

The Buzby family homesteads
The history of the Buzby family homesteads on the Chena River. This article is adapted from Homesteads on Fort Wainwright, Alaska by Kathy Price, published by the US Army, Fort Richardson, Alaska.

The Spencer family homestead
A brief history of Chester Spencer and Bessie Buzby Spencer in Alaska. This article is adapted from Homesteads on Fort Wainwright, Alaska by Kathy Price, published by the US Army, Fort Richardson, Alaska.

Homestead Patents
Harry Buzby received his homestead patent in 1922, and Chester Spencer (husband of Bessie Buzby Spencer) received his in 1935. You can view them here:
The Spencer Homestead
The Harry Buzby Homestead
You can search for other homestead land patents at the Federal Land Records Site. Files include patents for Jay, Ted, Elt, and Bob Buzby.

Faces of Alaska: Elton Buzby
Elt Buzby's oral history from Faces of Alaska: A Glimpse of History Through Paintings, Photographs and Oral Histories, © 1988 by Alaska artist and writer Jean Lester, all rights reserved. Reprinted here by permission of the author.

In 1984, after viewing an exhibit of Jean's work, Dr. William Wood suggested she paint twenty-five portraits of Fairbanks people to help celebrate twenty-five years of Statehood. Oral history interviews were a natural outgrowth of the paintings. When friends viewed the paintings, they wanted to learn more about the people and to hear their stories. Oral history provided a way for those featured in the portraits to tell their story in their own words.

My thanks to Elt's grandson Bob Jackson for bringing this publication to my attention, and special thanks to Jean Lester for her gracious permission allowing me to reprint it here.

Bob and Tiny Buzby Interview
In 1991, Bob and Tiny Buzby were interviewed by writer Kathy Price at their home in Wasilla, for the US Army history of the Homesteads on Fort Wainwright, Alaska. This article is a transcript of the interview, edited slightly for readability.

Thanks to Robyn Russell at the UAF library for sending me the transcript, and to Bob and Tiny's family for allowing me to reprint it here.

Here is a printable version of the unedited transcript.

Tiny Buzby interview
An interview with Tiny Buzby about early Alaska life. This interview by Alaska writer Ron Wendt can be viewed online at Alaskana: 50 years on a trapline.

Margaret Spencer letter
My Aunt Marty, Margaret Spencer Thomas, is the youngest daughter of Chester Spencer and Bessie Buzby Spencer. After reading Alaskana writer Ron Wendt's interview with Tiny Buzby, Aunt Marty wrote this recollection of events at the Buzby and Spencer homesteads.

Harry Buzby's 1907 crop report
This report is Harry Buzby's account in the Annual Report of the Alaska Agricultural Experiment Stations for 1907 published by the US Department of Agriculture in June of 1908.

Remembering Marian Buzby
A page about Marian and her family. Marian was Harry and Louisa's second daughter.

Remembering Bill Buzby
Bill Buzby, August 1933 - Sept 2010, son of Bob and Tiny Buzby.

Remembering Barbara Buzby Boyle
Barbara Buzby, February 1920 - October 2011, daughter of Jay Buzby and Isabel Croucher Buzby.

Remembering Betty Jean Buzby Wells
Betty Jean Buzby Wells, April 1921 - February 2013, daughter of Jay Buzby and Isabel Croucher Buzby.

Matanuska Peak photo courtesy of Teressa Van Diest
Website by Spencer Bryant spencerlmp@yahoo.com