Butler, Pennsylvania


Butler is a city in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is north of Pittsburgh and part of the Greater Pittsburgh region. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,502.
Butler is named after Major General Richard Butler, who died in the 1791 Battle of the Wabash. Settled in 1803 by John and Samuel Cunningham, it became a borough in 1817 and a city in 1918. Initially populated by Irish and Scottish immigrants, Butler saw a large influx of German settlers in the early 19th century. It contributed to the Steel Belt manufacturing region as home to the Standard Steel Car Company, which produced early all-steel railcars, and the American Bantam Car Company, known for developing the original Willys Jeep.
The Butler Area Public Library, built in 1921, was Pennsylvania's last Carnegie library. The city also hosts the Butler Little Theatre, active since 1941, and notable sites such as the Butler County Courthouse and Butler Armory. Annual events include the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival and the Butler Italian Festival. Though manufacturing jobs declined by the late 1970s, Butler has sought economic revitalization, with key employers including Cleveland-Cliffs, Butler Area School District, and VA Butler Healthcare.
Butler gained international attention in July 2024 after the assassination attempt against Donald Trump at the Butler Farm Show Grounds in nearby Connoquenessing Township.

History

Butler was named for Maj. Gen. Richard Butler, who fell at the Battle of the Wabash, also known as St. Clair's Defeat, in western Ohio in 1791.
In 1803, John and Samuel Cunningham became the first settlers in the village of Butler. After settling in Butler, the two brothers laid out the community by drawing up plots of land for more incoming settlers. By 1817, the community was incorporated into a borough. The first settlers were of Irish or Scottish descent and were driving westward from Connecticut. In 1802, the German immigrants began arriving, with Detmar Basse settling in Jackson Township in 1802 and founding Zelienople the following year. After George Rapp arrived in 1805 and founded Harmony, larger numbers of settlers followed. John A. Roebling settled Saxonburg in 1832, by which time most of the county was filled with German settlers.
Butler was incorporated into a city in 1918.
The first Butler library originated in 1894 with the Literary Society of Butler in what is now known as the Little Red Schoolhouse. The Butler Area Public Library, built in 1921, was the last Carnegie library to be built in Pennsylvania. In the intervening 27, years the library was independently operated. From 1921 to 1941, the library quadrupled the number of patrons served.

Rail and automobile

In the early 1900s, Butler was a "Steel Belt" manufacturing and industrial area. It remains home to a Cleveland Cliffs Butler Works, formerly AK Steel Butler Works. In 1902, the Standard Steel Car Company opened one of its largest railcar manufacturing facilities in Butler, where it manufactured some of the first all-steel rail cars. Standard Steel Car Company merged with Pullman Palace Car Company in 1934, creating Pullman-Standard, a monopoly that was eventually broken by the federal government.
About 2,500 workers produced 60 steel-bed railroad cars per day in 1902. Eastern European immigrants were lured to the area in the early 20th century with the promise of reliable jobs, which offered company housing and a company store. The company constructed a baseball park which was the home of a New York Yankees farm team. The steel workers of Butler made artillery and naval shells during World War II.
The Pullman-Standard plant closed in 1982, but was purchased in 1984 by Trinity Industries. Trinity Industries left the factory in 1993, and the factory was completely demolished in 2005. The site is now occupied by a vacant strip mall, as well as the Butler Transit Authority inter-modal facility. In 2011 the BTA moved a covered hopper rail-car, built in 1974, to the bus terminal in recognition of the former Pullman-Standard plant.
The American Austin Car Company was headquartered in the area. Later the firm changed its name to American Bantam Car Company. Bantam was an early producer of small fuel-efficient vehicles through the 1930s. In 1940, lead engineer Karl Probst led Bantam design team to create what later was termed the iconic WWII Jeep. Sizeable military contracts eventually went to Willys and Ford, as the Bantam factory had floundered. Today, a controversial monument stands near the courthouse commemorating Bantam's "creation of the Jeep".
Butler is home to one of the early Ford dealerships, established in 1918 and still extant.
At one point, the Rainbow Rubber Company, in the late 1930s, made "Rubrtoy" replicas of Oldsmobiles along with many other rubber toys.
In the 1950s, Butler became one of the first cities to install bells at crosswalks, a common practice today. Pedestrians could cross in either direction.
The city was linked to Pittsburgh via Mars, Pennsylvania, in 1907 by the Pittsburgh and Butler Street Railway, and to Evans City in 1908 by the Pittsburgh, Harmony, Butler and New Castle Railway, both interurban trolley lines. The Mars route closed in April 1931, followed by the Evans City line on August 15, 1931, with the trolleys replaced by buses.

1970s to present

Like most of the region, by the end of the 1970s, the local economy changed dramatically. Manufacturing virtually ended and well-paying jobs became scarce.
On July 13, 2024, during a 2024 presidential campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show grounds near Butler, Donald Trump was wounded in his right ear from an attempted assassination, during which one audience member was killed and two others severely injured in the gunfire. Thomas Matthew Crooks, the perpetrator, was promptly killed by a Secret Service Counter Assault Team sniper. Trump was swiftly transported to Butler Memorial Hospital and treated there, before being flown out of Pittsburgh International Airport. The incident occurred outside of the Butler city jurisdiction. Nonetheless, Mayor of Butler Bob Dandoy stated that a lot of attention was focused on the city.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, all land.
Connoquenessing Creek is the only waterway to pass through the city. In 2000, a scientific study was conducted to determine the health of the creek. Researchers discovered that only the Mississippi River received more toxic materials than the Connoquenessing, making the small river the second most polluted waterway in the United States. At the time, the Armco Inc. steel facility in Butler ranked first nationally for the amount of pollutant discharges. However, by 2010, due to reduced industry and clean up efforts, the creek's health has significantly recovered and has become popular for water-sport activities.

Neighborhoods

The city of Butler has six labeled neighborhoods:
  • Institute Hill
  • The Island
  • North Butler
  • South Hills
  • South Side
  • West End

    Climate

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, there were 15,121 people, 6,740 households, and 3,626 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 7,402 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 93.6% White, 2.7% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.52% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.88% of the population.
There were 6,740 households, out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.0% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.2% were non-families. 40.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,154, and the median income for a family was $35,893. Males had a median income of $30,607 versus $20,950 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,457. About 14.7% of families and 19.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.8% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Major employers:
The Butler County Symphony Orchestra, is Butler's largest performing arts non-profit. Founded in 1948 as the Butler Orchestral Association, the BCSO has been in continuous operations since its first concert in April 1950. Edward Roncone served as the first Music Director and Conductor, and the inaugural performance also served as the Sesquicentennial celebration of Butler County. The BCSO currently sponsors six subscription concerts, a Chamber Music Series, and a Summer Concert Series, making them operate as a year-round performing arts organization.
The Butler Little Theatre has been running productions continuously since 1941. The Musical Theater Guild produces an annual musical production. In 2012, Hobnob Theatre Company began producing several plays, including an annual production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol and Shakespeare in the Park productions at Preston Park and other Butler county parks.
The Maridon Museum is the only museum in the Western Pennsylvania region with a specific focus on Chinese and Japanese art and culture.
The Little Red School House is a former one-room schoolhouse that taught students from 1839 to 1874. Throughout its history, it has been a post office, library and Red Cross headquarters. It became a museum in 1966 and is run by the Butler County Historical Society.
Butler is home to the Butler County Symphony Association, which performs at the Butler Intermediate High School auditorium.
The city features artist groups including the Associated Artists of Butler County and the Butler Arts Council, which host galleries and live events at the Art Center, located on Main Street.
Stewart O'Nan's prizewinning 1994 novel Snow Angels is set in Butler, with the protagonist being a local high school student. However, the 2007 film adaption, shot in Canada, removes all references to Butler.
Stephen King's 2002 novel From A Buick 8 takes place in the area.
The city was the setting for several scenes in the 2015 novel trilogy Benjamin's Field by local author J. J. Knights.