Two hundred years has changed Butler County's landscape, our industrial base, our attitudes and opinions and certainly, our lifestyle. Evidence of our changing needs can be found in an 1829 demographic report detailing the businesses providing services to the entire county during that year. Can you imagine if the following were true today? In 1829, the county was home to four shoemakers, four schoolteachers, three tailors, four carpenters, three blacksmiths, three cabinetmakers, two tanners, two saddlers, two plasterers, two bricklayers, two doctors, two ministers, two newspapers, two hatters, one wagonmaker, one painter, one copper, one chairmaker and seven lawyers. The county continued to grow and change and by 1872 when oil was discovered in northern Butler County, the city of Petrolia had 12 grocery stores alone and according to many reports, one saloon for every business.

A Sunday drive through the neighborhoods of Butler County will begin to shed light on the impact the industrial revolution had on area growth. The City of Butler, as the county seat, grew the fastest and evidence of the wealthy oil families and other industrial magnates can be seen in the beautiful old homes dotting McKean Street. Growth bloomed into areas surrounding the City and throughout the twentieth century, suburban housing plans, shopping malls and business parks began to develop. In 1983, the opening of the Clearview Mall changed the retail landscape of the immediate city area and spurred additional growth north of the city.

Harmony and Zelienople remain beautiful monuments to the lifestyle created by the Harmonites at the turn of the nineteenth century. Founded by Dettmar Basse and named after his daughter Zelie, Zelienople reflects a strong historical tradition and small town atmosphere. It is said that Basse chose the ten thousand acres in the Connoquenessing Valley because he admired the wild forests and beautiful landscape.

Likewise, Harmony holds a unique place in county history. In 1804, a German socialist society founded by George Rapp, bought over 4,000 acres from Basse and founded Harmony. Intended to be a utopia based on fundamental Christian principles, Harmony flourished. In 1807, however, the society agreed that celibacy was the ideal and did not last longer than the living generation. Still located on display in the Harmony Museum is a clock made in the early 1800s. This clock remains one of the oldest clocks in the Western Hemisphere.

The preservation of historical homes of those notable residents and those not so notable, have given the communities throughout Butler County a unique charm not found in many areas. Equally exciting, though, is the new growth spawned by population increases in nearly all areas of the county. Who can say what the future holds, but it can only be hoped that in times of future celebration, the homes being built today will stand firm as reminders of life in the year 2000.

Next Topic

Previous Topic