For those settlers who came to Butler County in the late part of the 18th century, Butler County was a land of true opportunity. Its acres of beautiful land opened the doors for bountiful harvests, productive industries and endless recreation.

Since the time of its settlement, Butler County has changed and grown to become one of the Commonwealth’s most sought after addresses. Thanks to a booming population in the southern portion of the county, Butler County ranks as the third fastest growing area in Pennsylvania and without a doubt, the fastest growing community on the state’s western border.

Throughout the invigorating progress that has been made, though, Butler County retains a deep commitment to its heritage. Through events and activities like this Bicentennial Celebration, generations to come will hopefully understand the importance Butler County has played in shaping our nation . . . and in some cases, our entire world.

Stepping back to 1903, a Butler Chamber of Commerce [sic] publication lists the annual statistics of local industries. They include:

- 30,000 steel railroad cars

- 3.5 million square feet of plate glass

- 600,000 brass and iron beds

- $1 million worth of oil well supplies

- 1.5 million barrels of crude oil

- 75,000 barrels of refined oil and oil products

- 50,000 gross of glass bottles

- 750,000 gross of pearl buttons

- Buckwheat flour for more than 100 million buckwheat cakes

- More than 5 million cubic feet of natural gas available daily for manufacturing purposes

Quite an accomplishment for a small community with a payroll of less than $5 million. In strong contrast, Butler County today has an annual payroll of over $7 billion. Since the turn of the last century, Butler County has seen the advent of the automobile and contributed no less than five vehicles to the world. Highlighted by the invention of the Jeep, employees working at the Bantam Car Company on Hansen Avenue supervised the production of the Bantam, and the Austin. The Huselton and Standard Eight were also produced nearby.

While industrial accomplishments have put Butler County on the map, agriculture has always played a vital role in the County’s development. Cornfields and dairy farms dot the county’s landscape while providing an important source of employment for local residents.

However, it wasn't until 1859 that Butler County became known as the "Buckwheat County." Thanks to two severe frosts which killed everything that had been planted, farmers were faced with trying to recreate a profitable harvest in less than three months. They planted buckwheat and prayed for rain. The idea worked, alleviating a potential grain shortage and dubbing the county after the grain which saved the farmers.

Encouraged by low real estate costs and access to metropolitan Pittsburgh, Butler County's business community has continued to grow and prosper throughout the remainder of the twentieth century. High technology firms, retail and service industries and advanced manufacturers employ large numbers of the county’s workforce. A-K Steel (formerly Armco) continues to be the driving force in employment.

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