Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Photo: User:OHWiki · CC BY-SA 2.5Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1880.
The Butler post office opened in 1848, the earliest record of the town by name.
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Butler’s history is told.
Lost a third of its people between 1880 and 1890, then grew 3-fold.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Butler’s Wikipedia page.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
1885Sheet 1 of 2Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
From Wikipedia’s history of Butler.
As early as 1808, settlers were living in Northeastern Worthington township, however the area that makes up Butler was not recorded until 1820 by Thomas and William Simmons. Joseph Craig was the first white man to settle in the Butler area. James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States, had given Craig a land grant in 1823.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Butler, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Resolved, By the board of commissioners of Butler county, Ohio, that at the June session 1899 of said board, a tax be levied of not to exceed onetenth of one mill upon all the taxable property in the county for the purpose of raising a sum of money not to exceed one thousand dollars, said tax being levied for the encouragement of an agricultural fair in Butler county, Ohio, under the provis-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
village of Symmes' Corners, on the turnpike road from Hamilton to Cincinnati, is at the southwest corner of this section and derives its name from him. He was elected justice of the peace of Butler county in 1803. In 1806 he was chosen by the legislature of the State an associate judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Butler county, which position he held for seven years.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
empties itself into the Miami of the lakes; but it was, in fact, a tributary of the Wabash. The troops were encamped in two lines, the right wing composed of Butler, Clarke and Patterson battalions ; commanded by Major-General Butler (after whom Butler county was named), forming the first line; Patterson on the right, and
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereJim Wilson is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyEvery edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Butler. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Butler.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Butler’s page.
Retake this view · +15The Butler post office opened in 1848, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (8), the Library of Congress (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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