Butler is a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

in Richland County in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

. It is part of the

Mansfield, Ohio Mansfield is a city in Richland County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 47,534 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located approximately from Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio, Columbus via Interstate 71, it i ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 941 at the 2020 census.

Early history

Before Butler was founded and named, it was the site of the Delaware Indians hunting ground. Helltown, as the Indians called it, was chosen for its plentiful wild game and fertile farmlands. As early as 1808, settlers were living in Northeastern Worthington township, however the area that makes up Butler was not settled until another 10 years. Joseph Craig was the first white man to settle in the Butler area. James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States, had given Craig a land grant in 1823. Samuel Lewis, another interesting man, traveled through the area in 1809. On January 7, 1813, Lewis organized and divided Richland area into townships. Butler became Worthington township. Independence was laid out on the northwest quarter of Section 20, January 12, 1848, by Daniel Spohn. In the early days of its existence it was nicknamed "Spohntown " and " Squeelgut," but was named Independence by Thomas B. Andrews, rather in a spirit of defiance at the attitude of Bellville, which was not a friendly one to the aspiring village. The name was changed to Butler in the 1870s, after a Mexican war hero, General William Butler. In 1891 the name Independence was changed to Butler to match the post office. Andrews was born in 1807 and arrived in the village on November 15, 1833. Later Daniel Spohn and Andrews had the town laid out. Spohn was born in 1781 and died January 18, 1865, 13 years after the town was founded on January 12, 1848. Andrews was its first Postmaster, and, before the town was laid out, kept the office in his house near the site. After the town was laid out and a warehouse erected, he moved the office into the warehouse. The land upon which the town stands was entered on May 13, 1820, by William Simmons. The town plat was surveyed by Joseph Hastings. Mr. Andrews was instrumental in getting the town established and laying it out, taking a plot of land for pay. The first store was started by William Lamley, who kept groceries and whisky. It may be remarked here that Independence is a temperance town, and will not allow (since the Bowersox affair mentioned in another chapter) any saloon to exist in the place. Lamley's store was a small frame building, near the railroad, in the north end of the town. He afterward erected a building, which is now occupied by Downing as a store, and started a hotel. Joseph Geary kept this hotel, the first in the place. David Teeter erected a second hotel. John Diltz, a carpenter and present Postmaster, erected the next dwelling, and shortly after, Daniel Garber erected a shoe-shop on Main Street. William Clapper erected the next building and kept boarders. Gen. G. A. Jones came up from

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is the former residence and plantation of George Washington, a Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States, and his wife, Martha. An American landmar ...

, erected a warehouse, started a store and dealt in produce. In 1856, I. W. Pearce purchased the warehouse of Jones, conducted the business, and was also railroad agent. This gentleman at present keeps the principal store in the place, and does what banking business is necessary. The Bowersox Saloon was the site of an infamous murder that occurred in 1878 when the keeper of the saloon, Samuel P. Bowersox shot a man outside of his bar. After closing hours, Bowersox became angry by some young men that had been lingering causing disturbance. Bowersox fired a gun into the crowd, killing Alfred N. Palm. Enraged citizens burned down the Bowersox Saloon that night. Bowersox was tried and acquitted, rumor had it that his liquor suppliers in Mansfield bribed the judge to keep the bar open. When the town was out, the schoolhouse A-frame was a short distance south of town. In 1868, the present building was erected. It is a two-story frame, and occupied by two teachers and about one hundred pupils. The B&O railroad played a big part in the town's development. The railroad was built in 1853 and it was the only railroad in the United States noted to enter and leave the town from the same direction (west). In 1872, there was two passenger trains that collided killing eight people and injuring 40 more. In 1877, the village was incorporated, the first Mayor being J. M. McLaughlin; the second and present Mayor, George W. McBee. There are four dry-goods and grocery stores, one hardware, one stove and tin, and several smaller establishments; two churches, one hotel, and a proper proportion of mechanics and professional men. The population is about four hundred. The place stands in land near the

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the oldest railroads in North America, oldest railroad in the United States and the first steam engine, steam-operated common carrier. Construction of the line began in 1828, and it operated as B&O from 1830 ...

Geography

Butler is located along the Clear Fork of the Mohican River. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the village has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 933 people, 362 households, and 259 families residing in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 393 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 98.3%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.4%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.5% of the population. There were 362 households, of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.5% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.05. The median age in the village was 37.2 years. 26.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.6% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 15% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 921 people, 359 households, and 268 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 386 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 99.46%

, 0.11%

, 0.11% Asian, and 0.33% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.65% of the population. There were 359 households, out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% were

living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.3% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.99. In the village, the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 102.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.1 males. The median income for a household in the village was $39,886, and the median income for a family was $45,179. Males had a median income of $37,417 versus $20,750 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the village was $18,380. About 2.6% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Butler is located within the Clear Fork Valley Local School District. Schools in the district that are located in Butler are Butler Elementary School. Clear Fork Middle School and Clear Fork High School are located just outside Bellville. Butler has a public library, a branch of the Mansfield–Richland County Public Library.

Notable person

* Jim Wilson, banker and Los Angeles City Council member, born in Butler