Butler County, Nebraska

Butler County
County
County of Butler
Butler County Courthouse in David City
Interactive map of Butler County
Location within the U.S. state of Nebraska
Country	United States
State	Nebraska
Established	January 26, 1856
Organized	October 21, 1868
Named for	William Orlando Butler
County seat	David City
Largest city	David City
Area
• Total	591 sq mi (1,530 km2)
• Land	585 sq mi (1,520 km2)
• Water	5.9 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
• Density	13.8/sq mi (5.3/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code	402/531
FIPS code	31023
GNIS feature ID	835833
Website	www.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

• U.S. Highway 81
• Nebraska Highway 15
• Nebraska Highway 64
• Nebraska Highway 66
• Nebraska Highway 92

Adjacent counties

• Saunders County – east
• Seward County – south
• York County – southwest
• Polk County – west
• Platte County – northwest
• Colfax County – north

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	27		—
1870	1,290		4,677.8%
1880	9,194		612.7%
1890	15,454		68.1%
1900	15,703		1.6%
1910	15,403		−1.9%
1920	14,606		−5.2%
1930	14,410		−1.3%
1940	13,106		−9.0%
1950	11,432		−12.8%
1960	10,312		−9.8%
1970	9,461		−8.3%
1980	9,330		−1.4%
1990	8,601		−7.8%
2000	8,767		1.9%
2010	8,395		−4.2%
2020	8,369		−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

• David City (county seat)

Villages

• Abie
• Bellwood
• Brainard
• Bruno
• Dwight
• Garrison
• Linwood
• Octavia
• Rising City
• Surprise
• Ulysses

Unincorporated communities

• Appleton
• Edholm
• Loma
• Millerton
• Nimburg

Ghost town

• Savannah

Townships

• Alexis
• Bone Creek
• Center
• Franklin
• Linwood
• Oak Creek
• Olive
• Platte
• Plum Creek
• Read
• Reading
• Richardson
• Savannah
• Skull Creek
• Summit
• Ulysses
• Union

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(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	3,642	79.05%	906	19.67%	59	1.28%
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

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Butler County, Nebraska

References

1. "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. 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. "History". Butler County, Nebraska.
8. 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. "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′N97°08′W / 41.22°N 97.13°W / 41.22; -97.13