The Butterfield Families of Butler County, Ohio

Jeremiah Butterfield was born on the 4th of March, 1776, in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. When he was twelve years old his father removed to the State of New York. In 1797 young Butterfield left his home to seek his fortune in the West. lie traveled to Pittsburg, where lie embarked on a fiat-boat and descended ‘lie Ohio River to Marietta. Here lie remained in the family of Doctor Spencer for the Winter. In the following Spring he started on board a flat-boat to Cincinnati. The place was then only an inconsiderable village, con- naming not more than one thousand inhabitants. The boat’s crew proceeded on their voyage down the Ohio to Louisville, and from thence to Fort Massac, on the north bank of the Ohio, thirty-six miles above its mouth. Butterfield remained at the fort only a short time. lie purchased a pirogue, and, in company with a Kentuckian, set out for St. Louis. The trip to St. Louis was made by taking the river. From St. Louis he went to St.

Charles, a small village on the north side of the Missouri River, eighteen miles above its mouth, where he remained one year. Mr. Butterfield, not liking the manners and customs of the people, returned to St. Louis, and from there crossed the country to Vincennes, on the Wabash. While crossing the prairie he encountered vast herds of buffalo. From Vincennes he went into the interior of Kentucky, where he remained for three months and then set out for the East. He arrived at his father’s house, in !

New York, in the Winter of 1799. He was now twenty three years old, and determined to take unto himself a wife, a Miss Polly Campbell, whom he married in 1800. He now began to look for some place to live. After some delay, he again took the flat-boat for Cincinnati. The company, of which Butterfield was a part, made arrangements to work at harvesting for Colonel.John Riddle, who, at that time, lived two miles north of Cincinnati, on the Hamilton road. One corner of his land was where the Brighton House used to stand. Israel Ludlow, who was at that time employed by the govern- ' ment to run the boundary line between the United States j and the Indian nations, employed Butterfield to act as i one of his chain carriers. Ou this expedition they were three months without seeing a dwelling-house, and at one time came near starving, being five days without food.

Early in the ensuing Spring he visited and explored the valley of the Great Miami, the bottom lands of which pleased him very much. He, with a company of others, in the Spring of 1801, made a purchase of two full and as many fractional sections, beginning at the mouth of Indian Creek and extending down the river for about two miles. The land was divided, and Butterfield became the owner of about eight hundred acres, near where Venice now is. His friends, who had come on with him, returned to New York, and he remained to make a home for his young wife. After some work, he returned for his wife and sister, and when returning, brought with him the seeds of various fruit trees, from I ° ! which he afterwards raised hue, fruit.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

In the Winter of 1819 Mr. Butterfield drove a large number of bogs through the woods from the neighborhood where he lived to Detroit, a distance of more than two hundred and eighty miles. For most of the distance on the route which he those there were no roads, and what rendered the trip more difficult, a severe snowstorm set in. Some of his men became disheartened and returned, but he pushed forward, breaking a path in the snow with his horse for his hogs to follow. After many days of hardship he arrived safely, sold out to a good advantage, and returned home with his saddle-bags full of silver. Three times he shipped his hogs from his own door down the river to New Orleans, going with them himself in each instance. From Ne9 Orleans he shipped his hogs to Cuba, and in 1828 was shipwrecked. When the vessel neared the shore she struck a rock, and the captain and the crew took to the long-boat. Mr. Butterfield would not leave until he had cut open the pens containing the hogs, which were on deck, and let them into the sea. They nearly all swam to the shore, so that he lost but few, and in selling them received twelve dollars pker hundred weight, weighing them alive, so that,, notwithstanding lie was shipwrecked, and had to pay three dollars’ duty on each hog, he made a profitable voyage.

He died at his home, near Venice, on the twenty-seventh day of June, 1853, aged seventy-seven years.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

JOHN A. BUTTERFIELD.

This gentleman, who is numbered with the enterprising farmers and substantial citizens of Morgan township, Butler county, was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, March 17, 1859, the son of Jeremiah and Sarah Jane Butterfield, both natives of the Buckeye state. The subject’s grandfather, who also bore the name of Jeremiah, was one of the pioneers of southern Ohio and the family has been well known in the counties of Hamilton and Butler from a very early day.

Jeremiah Butterfield, Jr., was born in the former county March 6, 1811, grew to manhood a miller of the soil, which vocation he followed all his life, and died on March 25, 1892; his wife, whose birth occurred on the 29th of November, 1822, departed this life January 2, 1899.

The, subject of this review was brought up on his father’s farm in Hamilton county and after finishing the common-school course entered the National Normal School at Lebanon, where he prosecuted his studies for some time with the object in view of fitting himself for teaching. On leaving the above institution he engaged in educational work and continued the same during the ensuing four years, meeting with encouraging success as an instructor and disciplinarian and earning the reputation of being one of the able and popular teachers of this county. The financial inducements of the profession not being very flattering, Mr. Butterfield at the expiration of the period noted decided to abandon educational work; accordingly he returned home and taking charge of the farm continued its cultivation until the year 1900, when he was elected real estate appraiser of his township. The duties of the position, being responsible and onerous, required all of his time, and he applied himself diligently to the same until the close of his term, when he purchased a farm in Morgan township, Butler county, to which he at once moved and on which he has since lived and prospered. Mr. Butterfield has increased the value of his place by bringing it to a high state of cultivation, and adding a series of substantial improvements, spring no efforts in any of these respects to make it one of the finest and most attractive farms of the township in which it is situated. He has labored diligently to bring about the results that now obtain, the excellent condition of his fields, buildings and other improvements and the spirit of thrift apparent in every part of the premises demonstrating unusual capacity on his part as an enterprising miller of the soil, as well as the lively interest he manifests to keep fully abreast the times in all matters of modern thought in the domains of agricultural science. His persevering industry and devotion to duty have brought their reward in the beautiful home and comfortable competency now in his possession, while his upright course of conduct and the desire always to do as he would be done by have won him a conspicuous place in the confidence and esteem of his neighbors and fellow citizens.

The domestic life of Mr. Butterfield dates from February 4, 1897, at which time he was united in the holy bonds of wedlock with Miss Lillian Atherton, daughter of Israel and Jane Atherton, of Ohio, the father for many years a well-to-do farmer and representative citizen of Hamilton county. This union has been blessed with one child, Helen, around whom all the wealth of the parental affection is being thrown and in whom are centered many fond hopes, and bright anticipations for the future. Mr. Butterfield affiliates with the Democratic party. Although a member of no church, he has profound respect for religion and exemplifies the vital principles of Christianity in his daily life and conversation, which in the sight of reasonable men is of greater weight and influence than ostentatious profession. He is an attendant of the Presbyterian church, to which his wife belongs, and contributes generously to its support,, besides giving liberally of his means to further the interests of all charitable and benevolent enterprises of whatever name or order. Mr. Butterfield is a genial and pleasant companion, of a cheerful and lively disposition, and in his domestic relations is as happily situated as he is popular among his fellow men, being respected by all classes as a gentleman of integrity and honor. He possesses a strong will, is energetic and determined in carrying forward any undertaking which he considers just and right, at the same time exercising that control of self which under all circumstances is the surest evidence of personal power. He has lived as nearly as possible according to his ideals of manhood and citizenship, and with others of his type and class is deserving of a place in a volume dedicated to the representative men of his adopted county.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

WENDEL P. BUTTERFIELD.

The subject of this review is a typical representative of sterling New England manhood, and combines many of the sturdy characteristics for which the people of that section of the Union have been long distinguished. William Butterfield, the father, was a native of Massachusetts and the mother. Elizabeth Robinson, was descended from an old family that figured in the early settlement of Vermont. After their marriage these parents lived in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, where William Butterfield followed shoemaking, working at various places in those states.

VYendel P. Butterfield was born in New Hampshire, December 29, 1849, and spent his early life in a small country town and attended the public schools until his sixteenth year. In 1861 he went to Covington.

Kentucky; thence, a little later to Cincinnati, and in the spring of 1866 came to Middletown, Ohio, to which place his mother also removed about the same time. On coming west Mr. Butterfield turned his attention to farm work, but afterwards took up the carpenter’s trade, in which he soon acquired skill and efficiency, and which he followed in Middletown and vicinity until engaging with the Oglesby Paper Company in 1873, entering the employ of the latter concern as superintendent of machinery, in which capacity he still continues. Mr. Butterfield is not only a skillful mechanic, but is also an accomplished machinist and his services in the important position which he holds have been eminently efficient and highly appreciated. The company with which he is identified is one of the leading industrial enterprises of Middletown, and the high esteem in which he is held by the management shows him the possessor of wise, able and honorable business qualities, which win and retain confidence and achieve a large measure of success. Aside from his immediate calling, Mr. Butterfield manifests a lively interest in the affairs of the community, being energetic and public-spirited and an earnest advocate of all progressive measures for the material prosperity of the city of his residence. In like manner he encourages everything in the nature of social improvement and moral reform, stands for what makes for the best interest of his fellow men and his influence has long been a forceful factor in bringing such movements to successful issue.

In politics Mr. Butterfield accords an unwavering allegiance to the Republican party, but his activity never verges on offensive partisanship, nor can he be called an office seeker, although called at different times to positions of honor and trust. In the spring of 1903 was elected a member of the board of public service by the largest plurality ever given a candidate for that place, and in addition thereto he has also served three terms as water-works trustee, discharging the duties of both positions in an able, business-like and eminently satisfactory manner.

Mr. Butterfield stands high in the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Jefferson Lodge, No. 90, at Middletown, and Chapter No. 87, at the same place, in both of which he has been honored with important official stations, being a trustee of the former organization at the present time. He is also connected with the National Association of Stationary Engineers, and in religion subscribers to the Methodist Protestant faith, belonging to the church at Middletown and holding the office of trustee in the same.

Mr. Butterfield is a married man and the father of an interesting family of seven children, his wife having formerly been Miss Elizabeth Hughes, daughter of.Edward Hughes, who for some years was superintendent of the Oglesby Moore Paper Company, and whose son now holds the same position. Mrs. Butterfield was about one year old when her parents moved to Middletown and with that exception her life has been spent in this city. Like her husband, she is widely and favorably known, stands high in the social circles of the community, and within the sacred precincts of home reigns with a gentle dignity, which bespeaks the devoted wife, loving mother and true lady. The following are the names of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. Butterfield:

Edward, a machinist of Middletown; Elizabeth; Wendell; William, who holds a clerical position with a large dry-goods house in Cincinnati; Charles and Albert, who are working at the machinist’s trade, while Ralph and Raymond, the youngest of the family, are still with their parents.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.