IRA M. BUTLER is of Welsh descent, his grandfather, Benjamin Butler, having been a native of Wales. The latter ancestor, A Quaker in religions faith, in 1776 accompanied his parents to America. The Butler family settled in Lancaster county, Penn., and there secured 1,000 acres of land, part of which was in Chester county. Benjamin Butler was married in this country, and reared his family on the farm, but finally deciding to move to Ohio, sold the place, and purchased farms for the children. In 1805 sixteen persons began the journey to Ohio with a two-horse team and carriage arriving at Monongahela City on the evening of October 7, 1805. The following morning Mr. Butler was suddenly stricken with apoplexy and died that day. The other members of the family fell sick with malaria, which a quack doctor of the neighborhood pronounced yellow fever. These misfortunes compelled the family to remain in Washington county for some time, and they finally abandoned the idea of proceeding farther. The mother resided with her son Ira R. until her death. She left the following children: Jonathan, a wagon and plow maker; Abner, a cabinet maker; Noble; Eunice; Isaac; Benjamin; Joel; Joseph and Ira R. of whom the younger sons were carpenters with the exception of Ira R. Ira R. Butler was born November 15, 1792, in Lancaster county, Penn., and in 1805 came with the family to Washington county. After his arrival in this county he attended school for two years. Then learned the saddlery business. His health failing, he abandoned this pursuit by the advice of a physician and in 1814 engaged as captain of a freight vessel on Lake Erie. He followed this vocation three years, then returned to Monongahela City and became captain of "The Eagle" a passenger boat on the river, remaining in that position two years, at the end of which time he bought a farm near Monongahela City, meanwhile working in the boatyard for Robert Beebe. On June 4, 1822, Ira R. Butler was married to Mary A. Boyd, a resident of Washington county and their children were as follows: Benjamin;William Samuel M; Ira R., Eunice J. (wife of C.Z. Kochlin) Mary E. (married to Richard Pratt) Elizabeth( wife of James Blythe), Emmeline (wife of Dr. R.S.H. Keys; she was the widow of Major B. Howe, of the First W.Va. Cavalry, who had served during the entire Civil war without receiving a wound. On April 8, 1865, the night before the surrender of Lee, he was shot and killed by a rebel sharpshooter at Appomattox); Sarah (married to Charles Fry), and Ira M. In 1829 Mr. Butler sold his property and in 1840 purchased the "John Stockdale farm" where he died July 18, 1884, his wife having gone before September 7, 1874. He was a leading member of both the Whig and Republican parties, and served for twenty-five years as justice of the peace. In religion he was actively identified with the M.E. church. Ira M. Butler was born January 22, 1842 in the home farm in Carroll township, Washington Co., Penn. He received a common-school education, and on Mary 17, 1874, brought his bride Nancy J. Frederick, to the home place. She's a native of West Pike Run township, this state and daughter of Joseph Frederick. In 1880 the young couple moved to Elizabeth, Penn, where they resided until 1883, then returned to the home place and managed the farm until 1885. They afterward engaged in the livery business at Monongahela City, which he continued to follow two and a half years then worked on the railroad for two years. In 1889, he opened a feed store which he has since conducted. Politically he is a Republican, but votes independently in local elections. He is a member of the M.E. Church.

Text taken from page 814 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed March 1997 by Elizabeth Burnes of Phoeniz, AZ as part of the Beers Project. Published April 1997 on the Washington County, PA pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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