Butler, Pennsylvania
Location in Butler County
Location in the state of Pennsylvania
Coordinates: 40°51′38″N 79°53′41″W / 40.86056, -79.89472
Country	United States
Commonwealth	Image:Flag of Pennsylvania.svg‎ Pennsylvania
County	Butler County
Founded	1802
Government
- Mayor	Margaret "Maggie" Stock
Area
- City	km²  ( sq mi)
- Land	km² ( sq mi)
Population (U.S. Census Estimate, 2000)
- City
- Density	/km² (/sq mi)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Website: Butler County

Butler is a city in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 15,121 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Butler County⁶.

History

The city 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. 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, the trickle of settlers grew tremendous numbers. John A. Roebling settled Saxonburg in 1832, by which time all counties were filled with German settlers.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.0 km² (2.7 mi²), all land.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 15,121 people, 6,740 households, and 3,626 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,170.4/km² (5,611.3/mi²). There were 7,402 housing units at an average density of 1,062.4/km² (2,746.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.52% White, 2.22% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.42% of the population.

Downtown Butler

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.

Claims to Fame

• Diamond Jim Brady, the legendary financier, gourmand and gemophile, got his start in 1902 when he established the Standard Steel Car Company, which merged with the Pullman Palace Car Company in 1934 to create Pullman Standard, a monopoly that was eventually broken by the government. The site is now occupied by a strip mall.

• The modern Jeep was invented in Butler, by the American Bantam Car Company, an early producer of small fuel-efficient vehicles. Big military contracts eventually went to Willys and Ford, and the Bantam factory failed during World War II.

• The Maridon Musem, located in downtown Butler, is the only museum in the Western Pennsylvania region with a specific focus on Chinese and Japanese art and culture.

• Stewart O'Nan's prizewinning novel Snow Angels is set in Butler.

• Josie Carey, the host of "The Children's Corner" on WQED in Pittsburgh, was one of the first employees of the station, which was the first community-sponsored public TV station. Fred Rogers was a puppeteer and musician on her show for seven years before creating Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Ms. Carey was born and raised in Butler.

• Cult classic Night of the Living Dead was filmed in Butler County, in Evans City. Butler is referenced in the movie when the city's name appears on a television set.

• In the 1950's, Butler became one of the first towns to install bells at crosswalks, a common practice today.

• For those interested in the paranormal, Butler is also home to a famous Haunted Cemetery known as Snyder's Cemetery.

• Former US Senator Rick Santorum spent his formative years in Butler.

• Wrestler Big John Studd was born and raised in Butler.

Butler seen from PA 68.

• Jazz trombonist and arranger Jim Pugh was born and raised in Butler.

• French horn player William Purvis was born and raised in Butler.

• Actor Fred McCarren (1951-2006) was born and raised in Butler.

• Tony award winning actress Michele Pawk was born and raised in Butler, PA

• Bret Michaels, the lead singer of Poison, was born in Butler and raised in nearby Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.

• William J. Perry, former Secretary of Defense under Bill Clinton (1994-97), born in Vandergrift, PA graduated from Butler High School in 1945.

• Terry Hanratty, an All-American quarterback from Notre Dame who won the National Championship in 1966 and went on to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 1970's as a back-up, was born in Butler, PA in 1948.

• The Saul brothers, a trio of professional football players during the 60's and 70's, were born and raised in Butler - Bill played linebacker for the Colts, Steelers, Saints and Lions; Richard played for the Los Angeles Rams; and Ronald played for the Washington Redskins.

• Paul Posluzny, Buffalo Bills linebacker and All American Penn State University linebacker was born in Butler.

• Barbara Feldon, actress who played Agent 99 on the television series Get Smart was born in Butler.
• Home and birthplace of heavyweight boxer Brian Minto.
• Birthplace of San Diego Padres shortstop Khalil Greene.
• Hometown of Boston Red Sox pitcher Matt Clement.
• Hometown of Judge William G. Bassler, formerly of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
• Pullman Park was used for minor league baseball for twenty years until the Pittsburgh Pirates farm team left in 1951. The ballpark saw many famous faces while in service including Lou Gehrig, Whitey Ford, and Joe DiMaggio who played for a farm team of the New York Yankees.
• Bataan Death March Survivor Sgt. Abie Abraham was born in Lyndora (which is a CDP of Butler Township). He now resides in Renfrew, Pennsylvania.
• Hometown of David Pichler, Olympic diver.
• Hometown of Eric Namesnik,Olympic swimmer.
• Hometown of Jimmy Stewart, 2005 World Champion kickboxer.

Media

• WBUT (AM)
• WISR-AM
• WLER-FM
• The Butler Eagle, Butler County's only daily newspaper

External links

Wikisource has an original article from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica about:

Butler (Pennsylvania)

Coordinates: 40.860679° N 79.894796° W

• Butler Area Public Library
• Butler Area School District
• 1883 History of Butler County

Municipalities and communities of Butler County, Pennsylvania
County seat: Butler
Cities	Butler
Boroughs	Bruin | Callery | Cherry Valley | Chicora | Connoquenessing | East Butler | Eau Claire | Evans City | Fairview | Harmony | Harrisville | Karns City | Mars | Petrolia | Portersville | Prospect | Saxonburg | Seven Fields | Slippery Rock | Valencia | West Liberty | West Sunbury | Zelienople
Townships	Adams | Allegheny | Brady | Buffalo | Butler | Center | Cherry | Clay | Clearfield | Clinton | Concord | Connoquenessing | Cranberry | Donegal | Fairview | Forward | Franklin | Jackson | Jefferson | Lancaster | Marion | Mercer | Middlesex | Muddy Creek | Oakland | Parker | Penn | Slippery Rock | Summit | Venango | Washington | Winfield | Worth
Communities and CDPs	Fernway | Fox Run | Homeacre-Lyndora | Meadowood | Meridian | Nixon | Oak Hills | Shanor-Northvue

	County Seats of Pennsylvania
Cities	Allentown | Butler | Easton | Erie | Franklin | Greensburg | Harrisburg | Lancaster | Lebanon | Lock Haven | Meadville | New Castle | Philadelphia | Pittsburgh | Pottsville | Reading | Scranton | Sunbury | Uniontown | Warren | Washington | Wilkes-Barre | Williamsport | York
Boroughs	Beaver | Bedford | Bellefonte | Bloomfield| Brookville | Carlisle | Chambersburg | Clarion | Clearfield | Coudersport | Danville | Doylestown | Ebensburg | Emporium | Gettysburg | Hollidaysburg | Honesdale | Huntingdon | Indiana | Jim Thorpe | Kittanning | Laporte | Lewisburg | Lewistown | McConnellsburg | Media | Mercer | Middleburg | Mifflintown | Milford | Montrose | Norristown | Ridgway | Smethport | Somerset | Stroudsburg | Tionesta | Towanda | Tunkhannock | Waynesburg | Wellsboro | West Chester
Town	Bloomsburg

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