Butler

History

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. Before Butler was named "Butler" it bore the name of "Independence." Independence was laid out on the northwest quarter of Section 20 of Worthington Township, on January 12, 1848, by Daniel Spohn. In the early days of its existence it was nicknamed "Spohntown", but was named Independence by Thomas B. Andrews. 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 the 13th of May, 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 town of Independence was incorporated in 1877. However, the town name was changed to "Butler" in the 1891, after a Mexican war hero, General William Butler. The change came to match the post office in town that bore the Butler name. On February 24, 2026, the mayor, Wesley Dingus, resigned in disgrace from his position after a months-long saga where he was arrested for running over a man who fled from police, then charged with voyeurism for smelling a girl's…

Geography

Butler is located along the Clear Fork of the Mohican River. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  9,596
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  8,325
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  7,234
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  6,422
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  6,389
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  6,135
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  6,027
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  5,654

Most recent

• M 2.6 — 2021-11-19
  2 km NW of Sherrodsville, Ohio
• M 2.6 — 2021-10-28
  1 km NW of Sherrodsville, Ohio
• M 3 — 2011-06-05
  5 km W of Lodi, Ohio