Butler, William H.

BUTLER

Posted By: Joyce Hickman (email)
Date: 11/18/2008 at 13:56:46

William H. Butler

(From the 1883 History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, by J. H. Keatley, p.268, York Twp.)
William H. Butler, farmer, P. O. Neola, was born in Montgomery County, N. Y., March 15, 1833. He is the son of J. M. and Ruth (Gates) Butler, both of whom were born in Montgomery County, N. Y., he, December 17, 1808, and she in the year 1812. She is the daughter of William Gates, a son of Gen. Gates, of Revolutionary fame. Our subject received his education in the common schools, and afterward taught school. He lived at home until he was twenty-one years of age. During the holidays, in 1854, his parents left New York and came to Adams County, Ill. They kept a hotel in Quincy for three years, on the corner of Sixth and Hampshire streets. In 1857, his father came to this State, and the next year the family followed. They were in the hotel business in Council Bluffs for three years - two years in the old Waverly House, on Main street, and one year in the Robinson House, on Broadway. They then moved on their farm in Union Grove, and afterward to Walker's Grove, where the father died, October 5, 1866. he was buried at Union Grove. Our subject was married, April 30, 1861, to Elizabeth Seater, born in the county of Orkney, Scotland, January 20, 1832. She is the daughter of William and Ellen (Reid) Seater. She came to America in 1852. After his marriage, our subject followed farming, at first working part of his father's place. In 1862, he bought forty acres of land on Mosquito Creek, in Shelby County. During the summer of this year, he freighted for Charles Bond. He then lived on his farm during the year 1863. He sold out and bought land at Walker's Grove. From here he moved to Honey Creek. While here he bought sixty acres of his present place, to which he moved in the spring of 1867. He now owns 460 acres, besides some fine property in Neola. He raises large quantities of grain and also stock. The only child of the family is Charles Reid, son of Mrs. Butler by a former marriage. Mr. Butler has been Town Clerk, and is at present Treasurer of the School Board.