An Illustrated History of Central Oregon, Western Historical Publishing Company,
Spokane, WA. 1905, page 334.

POLK BUTLER is to be classed as one of the builders of Wasco county for he has
labored here steadily for a quarter of a century and has so bestowed his
industry and conducted himself that he has won a good holding of property and
the esteem of his fellows.      

Polk Butler was born in Indiana, on September 25, 1845, the son of Isaac and Ann
L. (Jones) Butler, the former a native of Virginia, descended from old colonial
settlers, and the latter born in Ohio. The father died in Warren county,
Illinois, in 1875. The mother lives in Illinois, aged ninety-five. In his native
place our subject was reared and educated, attending the district schools a part
of each year and the remainder of the time being spent on the farm with his
father. When eighteen, he went with the balance of the family to Illinois and in
Monmouth of that state he married Miss Dell Coy. She was born in Indiana, the
daughter of Hiram and Phoebe (Mindenhall) Coy, natives of North and South
Carolina, respectively. The father died when Mrs. Butler was six years of age.
Her mother later married Mr. Shelby and now is a widow living in California.
Mrs. Butler's parents were among the early pioneers of Indiana, and her mother
and Mrs. Shelby were pioneers to Oregon. In 1879, Mr. Butler came to Oregon and
sought out a homestead, where he now lives. The place lies about one and one
half miles southeast from Nansene. To the original homestead Mr. Butler has
added by purchase until he has an estate of four hundred and eighty acres, two
hundred of which he is cultivating to grain at this time. He has improved his
place well and is one of the substantial men of the community. He has two
brothers, Daniel W., Isaiah, and two sisters, Mrs. Nellie Bridenthall, Mrs.
Eliza Gaynor. Mrs. Butler has two brothers, Elihu and Arthur, and one sister,
Mrs. Roxanna Hale. To Mr. and Mrs. Butler, four children have been born: Maud,
the wife of Edward Griffin, at The Dalles; Omer, a preacher in Idaho; Roy D., a
merchant at Boyd, and mentioned elsewhere in this work: and Earl C., at home.
Mr. Butler is a member of the I.O.O.F., the Rebekahs, and the Encampment. He has
passed the chairs and has been delegate to the grand lodge. Politically, he is a
stanch Jeffersonian Democrat. Mrs. Butler is a member of the Christian church.
For twenty years Mr. Butler has been school director and is considered one of
the leading and substantial men of this community.

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in January 2005 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. 
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.