History
There are two versions of how
Butler County was named. One version claims it was named after William
Orlando Butler, a Kentuckian who declined an appointment to become the
first territorial governor of Nebraska. The second version states the
county was named in honor of David Butler, who served as governor from
1867 to 1871.
Butler County's boundaries were
defined by the Territorial Legislature in 1856. It was formally
organized 12 years later when the population reached the required 200.
The first attempt to settle in
this area was made in 1847 by the Waverly Town Company of Plattsmouth
which built a house along the west bank of Skull Creek, today the site
of Linwood. Skull Creek was named as such because of the number of human
skulls that were discovered nearby. It was later determined the area was
once an ancient village of the Pawnee tribe.
Within 10 years of the time the
county was organized more than 2,500 settlers had moved into the area.
True to the pioneer tradition, the valleys were inhabited first as they
provided protection. Settlement of the hills and table lands quickly
followed.
The original county seat was
designated as Savannah, located near the northern border along the
Platte River. A hotel, two stores, a blacksmith shop and a courthouse
made Savannah a thriving village. Settlers, however, wanted a more
central location for their courthouse. A four-year struggle and four
elections would follow. Finally, the fourth election gave a site called
David City a majority vote of 39 to become the county seat. At the time,
David City was little more than a wide expanse of prairie. In the fall
of 1873 a modest courthouse was built on the site for $1,470. In 1890 a
second courthouse was built and stood for 74 years.
In November 1962, voters in Butler
County approved the issuance of $225,000 in bonds for the construction
of a new courthouse. An additional $100,000 from investment funds and
inheritance tax monies was pledged toward the project. The county
dedicated its new courthouse 2½ years later.
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