Editing Butler, Pennsylvania (section)

== History ==
[[Image: Pennsylvania Route 8 in Butler.jpg|thumb|Downtown Butler]]
Butler was named for [[Richard Butler (general)|Maj. Gen. Richard Butler]],<ref name=GAZ>''An Historical Gazetteer of Butler County, Pennsylvania'', p. 118.</ref> who fell at the [[St. Clair's defeat|Battle of the Wabash]], also known as St. Clair's Defeat, in western [[Ohio]] in 1791.

In 1803, John and Samuel Cunningham became the first settlers in the village of Butler. After settling in Butler, the two brothers laid out the community by drawing up plots of land for more incoming settlers.<ref name="GAZ"/> By 1817, the community was incorporated into a [[borough (Pennsylvania)|borough]].<ref name="GAZ"/> The first settlers were of Irish or Scottish descent and were driving westward from [[Connecticut]]. In 1802, the German immigrants began arriving, with Detmar Basse settling in [[Jackson Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania|Jackson Township]] in 1802 and founding [[Zelienople, Pennsylvania|Zelienople]] the following year. After [[George Rapp]] arrived in 1805 and founded [[Harmony, Pennsylvania|Harmony]], larger numbers of settlers followed. [[John A. Roebling]] settled [[Saxonburg, Pennsylvania|Saxonburg]] in 1832, by which time most of the county was filled with German settlers.

Butler was incorporated into a city in 1918.<ref name="dates"/>

The first Butler library originated in 1894 with the Literary Society of Butler<ref name=":0">{{cite web |website=Butler County Federated Library System |year=2015 |title=Butler Area Public Library |url=https://www.bcfls.org/butler-area-public-library |access-date=January 25, 2020 |archive-date=May 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170529195019/http://www.bcfls.org/butler-area-public-library |url-status=live }}</ref> in what is now known as the Little Red Schoolhouse.<ref>{{cite web |website=Butler County Historical Society |year=2019 |title=The Little Red Schoolhouse |url=https://butlerhistory.com/the-little-red-school-house/ |access-date=January 25, 2020 |archive-date=August 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808181833/https://butlerhistory.com/the-little-red-school-house/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Butler Area Public Library, built in 1921, was the last [[Carnegie library]] to be [[List of Carnegie libraries in Pennsylvania|built in Pennsylvania]]. In the intervening 27, years the library was independently operated.<ref name=":0" /> From 1921 to 1941, the library quadrupled the number of patrons served.<ref>Pennsylvania economy league Butler. (1941). ''The Pennsylvania economy league surveys the Butler public library''. Butler, PA.</ref>

===Rail and automobile===
[[File:Maytag dealer.jpg|thumb|Edna & Floyd Cramer at their Maytag Store in Butler, Pennsylvania 1920s]]

In the early 1900s, Butler was a "Steel Belt" manufacturing and industrial area. It remains home to a Cleveland Cliffs Butler Works, formerly AK Steel Butler Works. In 1902, the [[Standard Steel Car Company]] opened one of its largest [[railcar]] manufacturing facilities in Butler, where it manufactured some of the first all-steel rail cars. Standard Steel Car Company merged with [[Pullman Palace Car Company]] in 1934, creating Pullman-Standard, a monopoly that was eventually broken by the federal government.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

About 2,500 workers produced 60 steel-bed railroad cars per day in 1902. Eastern European immigrants were lured to the area in the early 20th century with the promise of reliable jobs, which offered company housing and a company store. The company constructed a baseball park which was the home of a New York Yankees farm team. The steel workers of Butler made artillery and naval shells during World War II.<ref name="globe"/>

The Pullman-Standard plant closed in 1982, but was purchased in 1984 by [[Trinity Industries]]. Trinity Industries left the factory in 1993, and the factory was completely demolished in 2005. The site is now occupied by a vacant [[strip mall]], as well as the [[Butler Transit Authority]] inter-modal facility. In 2011 the BTA moved a [[covered hopper]] rail-car, built in 1974, to the bus terminal in recognition of the former Pullman-Standard plant.<ref>{{cite news |first=Kelly B. |last=Garrett |title=Pullman railcar honors past |newspaper=[[Butler Eagle]] |date=February 4, 2011 }}</ref>

The [[American Austin Car Company]] (1929–1941) was headquartered in the area. Later the firm changed its name to American Bantam Car Company. Bantam was an early producer of small fuel-efficient vehicles through the 1930s. In 1940, lead engineer Karl Probst led Bantam design team to create what later was termed the iconic WWII [[Jeep]]. Sizeable military contracts eventually went to [[Willys]] and Ford, as the Bantam factory had floundered. Today, a controversial monument stands near the courthouse commemorating Bantam's "creation of the Jeep".

Butler is home to one of the early [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] dealerships, established in 1918 and still extant.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://butlercountyford.net/DealerProfile.aspx |title=Dealer Profile |publisher=Butler County Ford |access-date=April 28, 2014 |archive-date=August 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140828072126/http://butlercountyford.net/DealerProfile.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>

At one point, the Rainbow Rubber Company, in the late 1930s, made "Rubrtoy" replicas of Oldsmobiles along with many other rubber toys.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/rainbow-rubber-co-1935-oldsmobile-173311687 |title=Rainbow Rubber Co 1935 Oldsmobile Coupe |date=July 7, 2011 |work=WorthPoint |quote=This Oldsmobile Coupe was made by Rainbow Rubber Co. circa 1935. At 3 3/4 inches long by 1 3/8 inches wide, it is made of rubber... Underneath it is marked 'Rubrtoy Oldsmobile Mfg'd by Rainbow Rubber Co. Butler, PA.' |access-date=April 28, 2014 |archive-date=April 29, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429080121/http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/rainbow-rubber-co-1935-oldsmobile-173311687 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the 1950s, Butler became one of the first cities to install bells at [[pedestrian crossing|crosswalks]], a common practice today.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}} Pedestrians could cross in either direction.

The city was linked to [[Pittsburgh]] via [[Mars, Pennsylvania]], in 1907 by the [[Pittsburgh and Butler Street Railway]], and to [[Evans City, Pennsylvania|Evans City]] in 1908 by the [[Pittsburgh, Harmony, Butler and New Castle Railway]], both [[interurban]] trolley lines. The Mars route closed in April 1931, followed by the Evans City line on August 15, 1931, with the trolleys replaced by buses.

===1970s to present===
Like most of the region, by the end of the 1970s, the local economy changed dramatically. Manufacturing virtually ended and well-paying jobs became scarce.<ref name="globe">{{cite news |last1=Viser |first1=Matt |title=In Pa., Boomers see the American dream slipping away |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2016/09/01/retirement/sIRT23m4MHGkEwXaP8YB9H/story.html?s_campaign=email_BG_TodaysHeadline&s_campaign= |access-date=September 4, 2016 |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=September 1, 2016 |archive-date=September 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160907114026/http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2016/09/01/retirement/sIRT23m4MHGkEwXaP8YB9H/story.html?s_campaign=email_BG_TodaysHeadline&s_campaign= |url-status=live }}</ref>

On July 13, 2024, during a [[Donald Trump 2024 presidential campaign|2024 presidential campaign]] rally at the Butler Farm Show grounds near Butler,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trizzino |first=Eddie |title=Trump to campaign at Butler Farm Show |url=https://www.butlereagle.com/20240705/trump-to-campaign-at-butler-farm-show/ |access-date=July 14, 2024 |website=www.butlereagle.com |language=en-US |archive-date=July 14, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240714055905/https://www.butlereagle.com/20240705/trump-to-campaign-at-butler-farm-show/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Donald Trump]] was wounded in his right ear from an [[Attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Pennsylvania|attempted assassination]], during which one audience member was killed and two others severely injured in the gunfire. [[Thomas Matthew Crooks]], the perpetrator, was promptly killed by a [[Secret Service Counter Assault Team]] sniper.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Bayer |first1=Lili |last2=Tian |first2=Yang |last3=Stein |first3=Chris |last4=Lawther |first4=Fran |last5=Tian |first5=Lili Bayer (now); Yang |last6=earlier |first6=Fran Lawther |date=July 14, 2024 |title=Trump rally shooting live: FBI names 'subject involved' in assassination attempt |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2024/jul/13/trump-rally-gun-shots-pennsylvania-latest-updates |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240714015033/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2024/jul/13/trump-rally-gun-shots-pennsylvania-latest-updates |archive-date=July 14, 2024 |access-date=July 14, 2024 |work=the Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Trump was swiftly transported to Butler Memorial Hospital and treated there, before being flown out of [[Pittsburgh International Airport]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Mokay |first=Erica |date=July 13, 2024 |title=Trump taken to Butler Memorial Hospital after shooting at rally |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/donald-trump-butler-memorial-hospital-rally-shooting/ |publisher=[[KDKA-TV|CBS News Pittsburgh]] |access-date=July 13, 2024 }}</ref> The incident occurred outside of the Butler city jurisdiction. Nonetheless, Mayor of Butler Bob Dandoy stated that a lot of attention was focused on the city.<ref name=FoltzSebOver>{{cite web|last=Foltz|first=Sebastian|url=https://www.post-gazette.com/news/election-2024/2024/07/14/butler-mayor-trump-assassination-attempt/stories/202407140140|title=Fallout of Trump assassination attempt has been 'overwhelming,' Butler mayor says |newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|date=2024-07-14|access-date=2024-07-16}}</ref>