Butler County
County
County of Butler
Butler County Courthouse in David City
Butler County Courthouse in David City
Interactive map of Butler County
Location within the U.S. state of Nebraska
Location within the U.S. state of Nebraska
Country United States
State Nebraska
EstablishedJanuary 26, 1856
OrganizedOctober 21, 1868
Named forWilliam Orlando Butler
County seatDavid City
Largest cityDavid City
Area
 • Total591 sq mi (1,530 km2)
 • Land585 sq mi (1,520 km2)
 • Water5.9 sq mi (15 km2)  1.0%
Highest elevation
1,739 ft (530 m)
Lowest elevation
902 ft (275 m)
Population
 • Estimate 
(2021[1])
8,369
 • Density13.8/sq mi (5.3/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code402/531
FIPS code31023
GNIS feature ID835833
Websitewww.co.butler.ne.us

Butler County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 8,369.[1] Its county seat is David City.[2] The county was created in 1856[3] and organized in 1868.[4][5]

In the Nebraska license plate system, Butler County is represented by the prefix 25 (when the license plate system was established in 1922, it had the 25th-largest number of vehicles registered of all counties in the state).

In 2010, Nebraska's center of population was in Butler County, near the village of Rising City.[6]

Name

There is some uncertainty about how Butler County got its name.[7] The most credible consensus seems to be that Butler County is named for William Orlando Butler, a U.S. congressman from Kentucky and U.S. Army major general who served during the Mexican–American War.[8] Butler was offered the job of Governor of Nebraska Territory in 1854 by President Franklin Pierce, but he turned it down.[9][10][11] Regardless, Butler County was still named in his honor. The earliest references to the county being called "Butler County" are found in the journals of the Nebraska Territorial Legislature from the years 1857 and 1858.[12][13]

Another common explanation proposed for the naming of Butler County is that it was named for David Butler, the first Governor of the State of Nebraska.[7][3][14] However, Butler County was created by an act of the Nebraska Territorial Legislature on June 26, 1856,[8] and was referred to as "Butler County" more than ten years before David Butler became Governor of Nebraska and two years before he had even moved to Nebraska from Indiana in 1859.[15] When David Butler came to Nebraska, he settled in Pawnee County, not in the Butler County area.[15] Confusingly, however, the name for the county seat of Butler County, David City, is also sometimes attributed to David Butler, but there are also conflicting sources concerning its origin.[8] A second alternate explanation for the origin of Butler County's name is given in Andreas' History of Nebraska. It seems to indicate that the county might have been named for William Butler, an early settler who moved to the area in 1860 and became county sheriff in 1868. However, as noted before, the county had been in existence and had been referred to as "Butler County" well before that point in time.[16]

Geography

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 591 square miles (1,530 km2), of which 585 square miles (1,520 km2) is land and 5.9 square miles (15 km2) (1.0%) is water.[17]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
186027—
18701,2904,677.8%
18809,194612.7%
189015,45468.1%
190015,7031.6%
191015,403−1.9%
192014,606−5.2%
193014,410−1.3%
194013,106−9.0%
195011,432−12.8%
196010,312−9.8%
19709,461−8.3%
19809,330−1.4%
19908,601−7.8%
20008,7671.9%
20108,395−4.2%
20208,369−0.3%
2021 (est.)8,444[1]0.9%
US Decennial Census[18]
1790-1960[19] 1900-1990[20]
1990-2000[21] 2010-2013[22]

As of the 2000 United States Census,[23] there were 8,767 people, 3,426 households, and 2,350 families in the county. The population density was 15 people per square mile (5.8 people/km2). There were 3,901 housing units at an average density of 7 units per square mile (2.7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.38% White, 0.10% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.81% from other races, and 0.40% from two or more races. 1.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 33.1% were of German and 32.0% Czech ancestry.

There were 3,426 households, out of which 33.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.90% were married couples living together, 5.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.40% were non-families. 28.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.13.

The county population contained 27.90% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 25.30% from 25 to 44, 22.50% from 45 to 64, and 17.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 104.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,331, and the median income for a family was $44,441. Males had a median income of $28,856 versus $20,979 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,394. About 4.80% of families and 8.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.80% of those under age 18 and 9.40% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

City

Villages

Unincorporated communities

Ghost town

Townships

Politics

Butler County voters have been reliably Republican for decades. No Democratic Party candidate has carried the county in any national election since 1976.

United States presidential election results for Butler County, Nebraska[24]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 3,542 78.40% 873 19.32% 103 2.28%
2016 3,079 77.34% 691 17.36% 211 5.30%
2012 2,738 70.95% 1,045 27.08% 76 1.97%
2008 2,557 66.61% 1,190 31.00% 92 2.40%
2004 3,016 72.36% 1,068 25.62% 84 2.02%
2000 2,638 68.91% 1,028 26.85% 162 4.23%
1996 2,042 55.25% 1,099 29.73% 555 15.02%
1992 1,884 45.35% 1,089 26.22% 1,181 28.43%
1988 2,086 54.62% 1,715 44.91% 18 0.47%
1984 2,557 67.56% 1,193 31.52% 35 0.92%
1980 2,596 66.07% 1,112 28.30% 221 5.62%
1976 1,809 42.36% 2,337 54.72% 125 2.93%
1972 2,301 55.94% 1,812 44.06% 0 0.00%
1968 1,646 46.84% 1,544 43.94% 324 9.22%
1964 1,642 35.43% 2,993 64.57% 0 0.00%
1960 2,253 45.11% 2,742 54.89% 0 0.00%
1956 2,864 56.07% 2,244 43.93% 0 0.00%
1952 3,459 63.90% 1,954 36.10% 0 0.00%
1948 2,105 44.69% 2,605 55.31% 0 0.00%
1944 2,493 46.04% 2,922 53.96% 0 0.00%
1940 2,966 47.75% 3,246 52.25% 0 0.00%
1936 2,442 35.26% 4,360 62.95% 124 1.79%
1932 1,712 27.60% 4,456 71.84% 35 0.56%
1928 2,930 45.65% 3,465 53.99% 23 0.36%
1924 2,435 44.81% 2,444 44.98% 555 10.21%
1920 2,478 55.24% 1,918 42.76% 90 2.01%
1916 1,120 31.90% 2,332 66.42% 59 1.68%
1912 823 25.41% 1,756 54.21% 660 20.38%
1908 1,412 39.23% 2,129 59.16% 58 1.61%
1904 1,723 50.81% 1,278 37.69% 390 11.50%
1900 1,481 39.96% 2,147 57.93% 78 2.10%

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Bureau, US Census. "County Population Totals: 2020-2021". Census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. 1 2 Fitzpatrick, Lilian L. (1960). Nebraska Place-Names. University of Nebraska Press. p. 28. ISBN 0803250606. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  4. ↑ Andreas, A. T. (1882). "Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska". The Kansas Collection. Archived from the original on May 20, 2003. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Butler County". Nebraska Association of County Officials. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Centers of Population by State: 2010". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 3, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  7. 1 2 "History". Butler County, Nebraska.
  8. 1 2 3 Elton A. Perkey (2003). Perkey's Nebraska Place Names (4th ed.). Nebraska State Historical Society. pp. 21–22.
  9. ↑ The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography, Volume VI. New York, NY: James T. White and Company. 1896. p. 183.
  10. ↑ McMullin, Thomas A.; Walker, David (1984). Biographical Directory of American Territorial Governors. Westport, CT: Meckler Publishing. p. 223. ISBN 0-930466-11-X.
  11. ↑ James C. Olson (1966). History of Nebraska (New Edition) (2nd ed.). University of Nebraska Press. p. 81.
  12. ↑ Senate, Nebraska. Legislature (December 17, 1857). Journal of the House of Representatives at the Fourth Session of the General Assembly of the Territory of Nebraska. p. 55. Mr. Donelan gave notice of a bill to create the county seat of Butler county.
  13. ↑ House Journal of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Nebraska, Fifth Session. November 3, 1858. p. 230. H. B. No. 107, 'A bill for an act to incorporate the town of Mahala city, and locate the county seat of Butler county,' Read first, second and third time, passed and title agreed to.
  14. ↑ "David C. Butler". The Downfall Dictionary. November 22, 2008. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
  15. 1 2 "Gov. David C. Butler". National Governors Association. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  16. ↑ A. T. Andreas (1882), History of the State of Nebraska, The Western Historical Company
  17. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
  18. ↑ "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
  22. ↑ "State & County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2013.
  23. ↑ "U.S. Census website". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  24. ↑ Election Results

41°13′N 97°08′W / 41.22°N 97.13°W / 41.22; -97.13

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