Butler County was formed from part of Allegheny County on March
12, 1800. Named to honor General Richard Butler, a hero of the
Revolutionary War, its county seat is the city of the same name,
Butler. Butler County, PA has played host to several well-known
inventions and discoveries. John Roebling, designer of the
Brooklyn Bridge, actually invented his revolutionary “wire rope”
in Saxonburg. Butler County residents, William Smith and Edwin
Drake, first proved that oil could be tapped from underground as
a consistent supply in what later became known as Oil Creek.
American Bantom also developed the Jeep in Butler County in
1941. Many famous politicians have made their homes in Butler
County, while others have simply passed through. Both categories
have certainly left their marks on the county. George Washington
moved through the area during the French and Indian War. Butler
County’s sole U.S. Senator, Walter Lowrie, had his home
constructed in 1828 behind the Butler County Courthouse, where
it still stands toda