Browse by family name to find information about individuals named in the Butler Family Letters
[
Butler] [
Davidson] [
Deweese] [
Ground] [
Haley]
[
Hutchinson] [
Lucas] [
Murphy] [
Smith] [
Whitman]
Butler
Peter Butler 1789 - 1856
- born in Pulaski County, Kentucky, then moved to Barren County, KY
- served in War of 1812 and Black Hawk War of 1832
- helped found and survey Monmouth, Illinois
- in Illinois he was a surveyor, sheriff, mayor, county commissioner, and served in the Illinois House of Representatives and Senate
- came to Oregon in 1853 at the age of 64, head of the Butler Wagon Train
- member of the Christian Church
- married Rachel Cook(e) Murphy, 1788 - 1874
- buried (with his wife) in Butler Davidson Cemetery
- children:
These children accompanied Butler to Oregon:
- Ira F. M Butler (married to Mary Ann Davidson)
Margaret Butler (married to Isaac Smith)
Elijah Davidson Butler, 1824-1858 (married Sarah Elizabeth Lucas)
Elizabeth Hannah (married Thomas Hutchinson)
Eliza D. Butler (married to Edward Ground)
Isaac Butler (married Sarah Webb), 1831-?
These children stayed in Illinois :
- James Whitman Butler (married to Mary Ground)
John Murphy Butler (married to Eliza Smith)
This son settled in Allen Creek, Kansas:
- William Cooke Butler.
- children: Victoria, John, Josephine (married Joseph Kempton)
This son settled in Dutch Creek, Iowa:
- Joseph R. Butler (with wife Jane)
Rachel Cook(e) Murphy Butler 1788 - 1874
- daughter of Rachel Cook(e) and John Murphy
- buried in Butler Davidson Cemetery
- wife of Peter Butler
- children: see list under Peter Butler
Ira Frances Marion Butler 1812 - 1909
- oldest son of Peter and Rachel Butler
- married Mary Ann Davidson , 1814 - 1888, daughter of Elijah Davidson
- came to Oregon in 1853 from Illinois with the Butler Wagon train, named after his father
- Donation Land Claim T9S R4W, secs 28,33
- credited with selecting the name Monmouth for the new Polk County community in the 1850s, breaking the tie vote between Dover and Monmouth
- considered one of the Founders of Western Oregon University
- President of the Board of Trustees of Monmouth University from 1855 - 1882
- member of the Christian Church
- first mayor of Monmouth, OR when it was incorporated in 1881
- Polk County Judge, 1872-1882
- Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives, 1857-58
- former home in Monmouth on the corner of Highway 99 and Main Street burned in the 1940s
- buried (with his wife and most of their children) in Butler Davidson Cemetery,
- children:
- Alice(Allie) Butler,1858 - 1940, no children; buried in Butler Davidson Cemetery
- Margaret (Maggie) Butler, 1852 - 1939, no children
- Paradine Butler, 1839 -1859; married William F. Reynolds; buried in Butler Davidson Cemetery
- Cyrus Butler 1841 - 1842
- Asa Douglas Butler 1843 - 1923; buried in California
- Augustus Peter Butler 1846 - 1887; no children; buried in Butler Davidson Cemetery
- Mary Elizabeth Butler, 1849 - 1851 (1852?)
- Newton Butler, 1837-1889, buried in Butler Davidson Cemetery
John Murphy Butler, 1818 - 1864
- son of Peter and Rachel Butler, who stayed in Monmouth Illinois; the Butler Family letters were sent to him and he shared them with his other brothers
- married Eliza Smith
- children: Lavina, Erastus, Ralph, Isaac, Frank, Granvil[le]
Mary Ann Davidson Butler, 1814-1888
- Born in Barren County, Kentucky, moved to Illinois in the 1830s
- daughter of Elijah and Margaret Davidson
- married Ira F. M. Butler and came with him to Oregon in 1853
- children: see list under Ira F.M.Butler
- buried (with her husband) in Butler Davidson Cemetery
Isaac Butler, 1831 - ?
- son of Peter and Rachel Butler; accompanied his father to Oregon in 1853
- married Sarah Webb
- became Sheriff of Polk County
- Donation Land Claim T9S R5W secs 5,4,8,9
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Davidson
Elijah A. Davidson, 1783 -1870
- born in North Carolina, moved to Kentucky in 1818, then to Warren County, Illinois in 1831
- came to Oregon in 1850 (with the Whitmans)
- married 1st wife, Margaret Murphy, 1785-1864; 2nd wife, Margaret McBride
- Donation Land Claim T8S R5W secs 25, 26, 27, 34, 35, 36; the Butler Davidson Cemetery is on his DLC
- member of the Christian Church; held the position of Elder
- buried in Butler Davidson Cemetery
- children:
Sarah Davidson, (married Thomas H. Lucas), 1825 -1882
Hosea Davidson, 1804-1873
Carter Tarrant Davidson, 1802-1882
Mary Ann Davidson, 1814-1888 (married Ira. F. M. Butler)
Margaret E. Davidson, 1816-1887 (married William Mason)
Elijah Barton Davidson, 1819-1888 (married Soloma Jones); buried (with his wife) in Sparlin Cemetery, Josephine County, Or; his son Elijah J. Davidson , 1849-1927, discovered the Oregon Caves
Elizabeth Thurston Davidson 1823-1896 (married Squire S. Whitman)
Alexander Bridges Davidson 1829-1862 (married Elizabeth Ann Burford)
John C. Davidson (married Julia Ann Whitman)
Rachel Davidson, 1821 - 1895, married George Deweese; died in Napa, California
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Deweese
George W. Deweese, 1817 - ?
- variously spelled Dueese and Duease in the Butler Family letters
- married Rachel Davidson, daughter of Elijah Davidson
- came to Oregon in 1850
- children:
Douglas Deweese
Elizabeth Deweese
Fannie Deweese
William Deweese
Lorinda or Lorenzo Deweese
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Ground
Edward Ground, 1809 - 1885(1886?)
- came to Oregon in 1853 from Illinois with Butler Wagon Train
- married 1st wife Eliza Ann Butler, 1816-1864, daughter of Peter Butler
- married 2nd wife, Mrs. Susan McCann Crossley, in 1868
- member of the Christian Church
- Donation Land Claim was located eight miles south of Monmouth on the Luckiamute River, but also lived in Parker, Yamhill County, and Scio.
- buried(with 1st wife) in Butler Davidson Cemetery
- children with Eliza Butler:
William Butler Ground, 1836 - 1880
Francis Ground, 1838 - 1840
Robert Ground, 1840? - 1917
Luther Ground, 1842-1918
Peter Ground, 1848 - ?
Franklin Pierce Ground, 1842 -1936
Sylvester Ground, 1858 - 1860
John H. Ground, 1865 - 1914
- children with Susan Crossley
Evaline
Alice
Eliza Ann Butler Ground, 1816 -1864
- first wife of Edward Ground; daughter of Peter and Rachel Butler
- buried at Butler Davidson Cemetery
- children: see list under Edward Ground
Mary Ground, 1833- 1886
- married James Whitman Butler, son of Peter and Rachel Butler
William Butler Ground, 1836 - 1880
- son of Edward and Eliza Ground
Luther Ground, 1842 - 1918
- son of Edward Ground
- came to Oregon with his father in 1853
- married Sarah J. Butler in 1868
- children:
Lottie Ground
Nettie Ground
Mellie Ground
Mabel Ground
Blanche Ground
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Haley
P.R. Haley, 1802 - 1884
- born in Barren County, Kentucky; moved to Warren County, Illinois
- came to Oregon in 1853
- married Sarah Jane McWhorter, 1808-1890
- member of the Christian Church
- Land Donation Claim near Monmouth
- buried in Butler Davidson Cemetery
- children:
Martha Jane Haley, 1840 - 1858
William Thompson Haley, 1833 - ?
P.W. Haley, 1847 - ?; married Alice Parker in 1869, children:
Orion
Iva L.
David W.
Nellie M.
Eula J.
Minerva
William Thompson Haley, 1833 - ?
- son of P.R. Haley
- came to Oregon in 1853 with his father
- graduate of Bethany College, West Virginia
- in charge of the College department of Monmouth University 1857-58
- married Lucinda Miller Ford, 1840 - 1867, daughter of Nathaniel Ford
- Principal at Bethel College, Polk County, Oregon (after leaving Monmouth University)
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Hutchinson
Thomas Hanna Hutchinson 1824 -1860
- married Elizabeth Hannah Butler, 1829 -1866, daughter of Peter and Rachel Butler
- came to Oregon in 1853 with the Butler Wagon Train
- member of the Christian Church
- surveyed and platted Monmouth, Oregon in 1855, responsible for naming early streets
- considered one of the Founders of Western Oregon University
- Secretary of the Board of Trustees of Monmouth University
- buried (with his wife) in Butler Davidson Cemetery
- children:
James Butler Hutchinson, ? - 1872 in Napa, California
Robert Cascade Hutchinson, 1853 - 1922
Tom Otis Hutchinson, 1855 - ?
Elizabeth Butler Hutchinson Miser, 1829-1866
- daughter of Peter and Rachel Butler
- wife of Thomas Hutchinson, she later remarried Miser
- children: see list under Thomas Hutchinson
- buried in Butler Davidson Cemetery
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Lucas
Albert Whitfield Lucas, 1827 - 1893
- born in Kentucky, moved to Warren County Illinois in 1830
- married Elizabeth Frances Murphy, daughter of John E. Murphy
- came to Oregon in 1852
- buried (with his wife) in Fir Crest Cemetery
- children :
Adah Lucas
Jay Lucas
Katherine Lucas , married W.D. Fenton
Frank Lucas
Albert Lucas
Susan Lucas
Fred Lucas, 1874-1894
Mary Lucas, 1858
Nellie Lucas, 1867
Thomas Hartzwell Lucas, 1824 - 1908
- married Sarah Davidson, daughter of Elijah and Margaret Davidson
- came to Oregon in 1850
- Donation Land Claim T8S R5W secs 24, 25, 26
- considered one of the Founders of Western Oregon University
- buried (with his wife) in Butler Davidson Cemetery
- children:
- Amanda Lucas, 1848 -1857, buried in Butler Davidson Cemetery
Smith W. Lucas, 1846-1890, buried in Butler Davidson Cemetery
Will M. Lucas, 1852-1906, buried in Butler Davidson Cemetery
Orren Lucas, 1862-1863, buried in Butler Davidson Cemetery
Sarah Davidson Lucas, 1825-1882
- wife of Thomas Hartzwell Lucas, daughter of Elijah and Margaret Davidson
Elizabeth Frances Lucas, 1832 - 1914
- wife of Albert Whitfield Lucas
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Murphy
John Ecles Murphy, 1806 -1876
- born in Warren County, Kentucky, moved to Illinois in 1830
- married Francis Wright Doughty (sometimes spelled Daughty), 1810 - 1891
- came to Oregon in 1852 with the Murphy Wagon Train
- an abolitionist, he opposed slavery and released slaves
- Donation Land Claim T9S R5W secs 31, 30, 29, 32, at Airlie
- considered one of the Founders of Western Oregon University
- first minister of Monmouth's Christian Church
- buried (with his wife) in Fir Crest Cemetery
- children:
Elizabeth Frances Murphy (married A.W. Lucas)
Emma & Ellen (twins); Emma married James McMurray
Ellen Murphy, 1854 -1863, buried in Butler Davidson Cemetery
Henderson Warren Murphy, 1835 - ?
Susan Jane Marshall Murphy
William Preston Murphy, 1832-1915; married Sarah Taylor, then Sarah Stanton
James Thompson Murphy
David Murphy
Preston Murphy
Nancy Rowland Murphy
Mary Chrisman Murphy
Sarah Ann Mulkey Murphy
William Murphy, 1816 - 1874
- cousin of John E. Murphy
- came to Oregon in 1852
- married Elizabeth Roundtree, 1823 -1889
- buried in Fir Crest Cemetery
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Smith
Isaac Smith, 1816 - 1897
Isaac may be a brother of John B. Smith, a founder of Western Oregon University
- born in Madison County, KY and moved to Warren County, Illinois in 1834
- married Margaret Butler, daughter of Peter and Rachel Butler
- came to Oregon in 1853 with the Butler Wagon Train
- served two terms in the Oregon State Legislature
- served as Polk County Judge for one term
- buried (with his wife) in Butler Davidson Cemetery
- children:
Rufus Smith, 1842-1920, buried at Fir Crest Cemetery
Silas Wright Smith, 1846 - ?,
Flora Alice Smith
Berryman M. Smith
Ira S. Smith
Isaac L. Smith
Rachel M. Smith
Mary E. Smith, 1852-1858, buried in Butler Davidson Cemetery
Margaret Butler Smith, 1822 - 1871
- daughter of Rachel and Peter Butler, wife of Isaac Smith
- buried in Butler Davidson Cemetery (with her husband)
- children: see list under Isaac Smith
Berryman Smith, 1846 - ?
- son of Isaac Smith, came with his father to Oregon in 1853
- married Sarah Nealy in 1866
- moved to Dallas, Oregon in 1882 and became a druggist
- children:
Ray N. Smith
Ralph O. Smith
Margaret E. Smith
Edith C. Smith
Hettie Smith
Silas Wright Smith, 1844 - ?
- son of Isaac Smith
- founded a business in Independence, which changed names several times: Cooper & Smith; McCord, Smith & Co.; and Vanduyn & Smith
- married Esther Barney in 1867
- children:
Mary Ellen Smith
Ephram Smith
Otto B. Smith
Lenna M. Smith
Millen W. Smith
Ralph C. Smith
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Whitman
Squire Stoten Whitman, 1818 - 1892
- married Elizabeth Davidson (1823-1896), daughter of Elijah and Margaret Davidson
- came to Oregon in 1850
- Donation Land Claim was in Monmouth T8S R4W secs 19,30 and T8S R5W secs 24, 25
- Whitman Street in Monmouth runs along one side of his Donation Land Claim
- Monmouth's first blacksmith
- operated the first sawmill in Independence, Oregon which was destroyed by the 1861 and 1862 floods
- donated ca. 200 acres of his Donation Land Claim to found Monmouth University
- considered one of the Founders of Western Oregon University
- member of the Board of Trustees of Monmouth University
- buried in Butler Davidson Cemetery
- children:
Mary Ann Whitman
John Murphy Whitman
William Andrew Whitman
Martha Jane Whitman
Hezekiah Davidson Whitman,1851-1909; buried in Butler Davidson Cemetery
Christopher C. Whitman
Huldah Ann Whitman
Elijah Alexander Whitman
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