Butler
County is in the third tier of counties from the northern boundary of
the state, and the fourth west of the Mississippi River. It is bounded
by Floyd on the north, Bremer and Blackhawk on the east, Grundy on the
south and Franklin on the west. It was organized in 1854.
A
portion of the county is quite level, the remainder would be termed
rolling prairie, there is scarcely a hill in the county except
now and then a few bluffs along the streams.
Prairie
and timber are as well proportioned and distributed as in any county in
this part of the State, and soil equal to any of the adjoining
counties, well adapted to raising wheat, corn, etc., and some
parts of the county cannot be surpassed for raising stock, and for
dairy purposes.
The
timber, consists of white burr and jack oaks, sugar maple, black
walnut, hickory, elm, Pine, etc.
There is an abundance of
brick stone and brick clay.
The principal streams
are: first, the Shell Rock River which for beauty and its numerous mill
sites cannot be surpassed in the west. It rises in Minnesota, and runs
in a south-easterly direction through the eastern portion of
the county, and empties into the Cedar River, a few miles above Cedar
Falls. Within the county, on this stream, are now three flouring mills.
The
second stream is called the West Fork of the Shell Rock, running nearly
parallel with the Shell Rock through the centre of the county; next the
Beaver, a smaller stream in the southern part of the county, upon which
there are numerous mill sites.
There are sixteen townships in the county, to-wit: Albion, Butler,
Beaver, Benezette, Cold-Water, Dayton, Fremont, Jackson, Jefferson,
Monroe, Madison, Pittsford, Ripley, Shell Rock, Washington and West
Point.
Joseph
Hix and Robert T. Crowell were the first white settlers. They settled
in 1850, near where the village of Clarksville has since been located.
The
DuBuque and Sioux City railroad passes through the southern part of the
county, and the Cedar Falls and Minnesota Road is being built through
the north-east part of the county.
CLARKSVILLE,
the largest village in the county, is situated on the Shell Rock River,
23 miles north-east of Cedar Falls, at which place is situated the
Clarksville Institute, as institution of learning, fast gaining a
reputation as one of the best institutions in the State. It contains
two churches, Methodist and Presbyterian, also a lodge each of Masons
and Good Templars. It has two general stores, two drug stores, one
grocery, one flour mill and two saw mills. Population, 500.
BUTLER
CENTRE is the county seat, and is situated on the
stage route, from Cedar Falls in Hampton, 15 miles north-west of Cedar
Falls. It contains a Presbyterian Church and one general store. The Stars
and Stripes, a weekly, is published by Martin
Baily. Population, 390.
WILLOUGHBY
is in the south-eastern portion of the county, 10 miles from Butler
Centre. It has one general store and two saw mills. The township has
five church organizations, two Methodist, Baptist, Advent and United
Brethren, and a lodge of Good Templars. Population of village, 58;
township, 700.
PARKERSBURG
is a post office in Albion township, near the southern line of the
county. The township contains one Methodist Church. It is watered by
Beaver Creek. Population of township, 330.
SHELL
ROCK is eight miles below Clarksville, on the Shell
Rock River.
NEW
HARTFORD is on the DuBuque and Sioux City R. R., in
the south-eastern part of the county.
The other
villages and post offices in the county are: Algonquin, Boylins Grove,
Elm Springs, Island Grove, Leoni and Swanton.