| City of Butler | |
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| — City — | |
| View of Butler from the Southside neighborhood | |
| Location in Butler County | |
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City of Butler
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Butler |
| Settled | 1802[1] |
| Incorporated (borough) | 1816 [1] |
| Incorporated (city); | 1918 [1] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council/Manager |
| • Mayor | Margaret "Maggie" Stock (D) |
| • State House |
State Representatives
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| • State Senate | |
| • U.S. House | |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.7 sq mi (7.0 km2) |
| • Land | 2.7 sq mi (7.0 km2) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 15,121 |
| • Density | 5,611.3/sq mi (2,170.4/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Zip code | 16001, 16002, 16003 |
| Area code(s) | 724 |
| Website | Butler County |
The city of Butler is the county seat of Butler County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania,[2] situated 35 miles (56 km) north of Pittsburgh. The population was 15,121 at the 2000 census.
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Butler was named for Maj. Gen. Richard Butler,[3] 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.[3] By 1817, the community was incorporated into a borough.[3] 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.
Throughout most of its history, the city of Butler has been a major manufacturing and industrial center. In 1902, the Standard Steel Car Company opened one of its largest railcar manufacturing facilities in Butler. It was here that some of the first all steel rail cars were built. Diamond Jim Brady, the legendary financier, gourmand and gemophile, got his start here 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 Pullman-Standard plant closed in 1982, and was demolished in 2005. The site is now occupied by a strip mall, as well as the new Butler Transit Authority intermodal facility. In 2011 the BTA moved a covered hopper railcar to the bus terminal in recognition of the former Pullman-Standard plant. The car was built at the facility in 1974.[4]
Another notable business headquartered in the city was the American Austin Car Company (1929–41). The modern Jeep was created by the company when it was later called American Bantam Car Company. The first prototypes of the vehicle were manufactured at the Butler facility. Big military contracts eventually went to Willys and Ford, and the Bantam factory failed during World War II. Bantam was also an early producer of small fuel-efficient vehicles.
Butler is home to one of the few original Ford dealers left that Henry Ford authorized when he created the first car dealers.[5]
In the 1950s, Butler became one of the first cities to install bells at cross walks, a common practice today.
The city was linked to Pittsburgh via Mars 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 15 August 1931 with the trolleys replaced by buses.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7.0 km2), all of it land.
The Connoquenessing Creek, which was ranked the second most polluted waterway in the U.S. in 2000, flows through the city.[6]
As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 15,121 people, 6,740 households, and 3,626 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,611.3 people per square mile (2,170.4/km²). There were 7,402 housing units at an average density of 2,746.8 per square mile (1,062.4/km²). 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.
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.
(Major employers)
Live plays are performed by local actors at the historic Butler Little Theatre which has been running productions continuously since 1941. The Musical Theater Guild also produces an annual musical production. Plus, the Penn Theater along Main Street is currently undergoing a renovation in hopes of attracting people to Butler.
There are also a handful of local authors who have written various novels and books on the surrounding area. Stewart O'Nan's prizewinning novel Snow Angels is set in Butler.
Butler is home to the Butler County Symphony Association which performs at Butler High School's auditorium. There are also many art groups located in the city. They include the Associated Artists of Butler County and the Butler Arts Council.
Butler Road Race a 5-mile and 2-mile race held each summer in June, raises funds for local students in scholarships.
The Butler Fall Festival, held each September, features car shows, ethnic foods, and many representative items from various cultures.
Butler BlueSox, Prospect League
There are two airports located outside the city. Butler County Airport is used for general aviation, and can accommodate large aircraft such as corporate jets. Butler Farm Show Airport is used by pilots with smaller, private aircraft in the Butler area.
Butler is serviced by The Bus which is run by the Butler Transit Authority.
Two railroads currently offer freight service in Butler. The Canadian National Railway owned Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad main line passes through the city, while the Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad provides regional service in the area. The B&P has a large locomotive shop located just outside the city limits.
Five major highways run through or near the city, providing links to other areas throughout Western Pennsylvania. The south terminus of PA 38 terminates just north of the city at U.S. Route 422. U.S. Route 422 skirts the city to the north on the Butler Bypass. PA 68, and PA 356 go straight through downtown where they intersect with PA 8. PA 8 is Butler's Main Street when passing through the city.
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