Carey, Charles Henry.  "History of Oregon." Vol. 2. Chicago-Portland: Pioneer
Historical Pub. Co., 1922.  p. 467.
 
J. B. V. BUTLER

     J. B. V. Butler, prominently identified with educational interests of the
state as vice president of the Oregon State Normal School at Monmouth, is also
well known in financial circles as vice president of the First National Bank of
Monmouth.  His life has been passed in this state, for he was born in Monmouth
in July, 1862, and is a son of J. B. V. and Elizabeth (Ingalls) Butler, the
former a native of New Hampshire and the latter of Ohio.  The father became a
resident of Illinois and in 1849 started across the plains for Oregon with ox
teams but performed the greater part of the journey on foot.  He was accompanied
by his wife and three children and the family settled at Portland, where he
followed his trade of brick mason, later engaging in general merchandising for
several years in that city.  Subsequently he removed to Polk county, opening a
store at Eola and continuing to operate his establishment in Portland.  He
conducted both enterprises for a considerable period and also made extensive
investments in wheat, which he stored in warehouses at various places in the
state, but lost heavily in the floods of 1862.  Soon after the founding of
Monmouth he took up his abode in the town and it was at this time that Christian
College was made the State Normal School, the institution having been
established in 1872.  He engaged in general merchandising at Monmouth, in
addition to dealing in wheat and pork, and was active along those lines for
several years, or until his retirement from business life.  He was very
successful in the conduct of his business interests and his energy, industry and
capable management secured for him a substantial competence.  He became
prominent in political circles of his community and filled several town offices
most creditably.  He passed away in September, 1879, at the age of seventy, and
his wife passed away when she had reached the age of sixty-five.
     Their son, J. B. V. Butler, attended the public schools of Monmouth and
also pursued a course of study in Christian College, from which he was graduated
with the class of 1884, while two years later, or in 1886, he was graduated from
the State Normal School.  Subsequently he filled clerical positions with various
mercantile firms and also was for a time active in the cultivation of a farm.
He then took up the work of teaching, which he found most congenial, and has
since followed this profession.  He first engaged in teaching in the public
schools of Monmouth, in which he was very successful, imparting clearly and
readily to his pupils the knowledge he had acquired and inspiring them with much
of his own interest and enthusiasm in the work.  His pronounced ability as an
educator soon won recognition and his work along this line has been most
important and valuable, for he is at all times actuated by a spirit of progress
that takes cognizance of improved educational methods and is ever ready to
transform ideas into realities when convinced of their worth.  He was for
several years secretary of the board of regents of the State Normal School and
it was largely through his efforts and those of Mr. Powell and Mr. Hawley that
Christian College was secured as a state normal school, at which time he became
vice president of the institution and is now serving in that important office.
His liberal educational training has well qualified him for the discharge of his
duties in this connection and through broad reading and study he keeps in touch
with the advancement which is constantly being made in educational work
throughout the country.  Mr. Butler is also occupying a prominent position in
financial circles as vice president of the First National Bank of Monmouth, of
which he was one of the organizers.  For one and a half years he served as its
president and is now vice president and chairman of the board of directors.  He
also has made investment in farm lands in Polk county, being the owner of two
hundred and fifty acres of valuable and productive land.
     On the 31st of March, 1886, Mr. Butler was united in marriage to Miss
Frances Harris and they have become the parents of four children, namely:
Willis D., a successful physician practicing at Elgin, Oregon; Cletus R., who
follows farming in Polk county; Edna, who died at the age of six months; and J.
B. V. Jr., who is connected with the First National Bank at Monmouth.
     In his political views Mr. Butler is a democrat and fraternally is
identified with the Masonic order, belonging to Al Kader Temple of the Mystic
Shrine at Portland.  He is one of the leading educators of the state, holding to
high standards in his professional work, and he also figures conspicuously in
financial circles of Polk county, being recognized as a sagacious, farsighted
business man of known reliability and integrity.  His activities have been of a
varied nature and as a cooperant factor in many projects for the public good he
has contributed in no small degree to the upbuilding and improvement of this
district.  He is interested in all those things which are of cultural value and
which tend to uplift the individual, thus bringing a higher moral plane to the
community, and association with Mr. Butler means expansion and elevation.
 
 
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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in September 2006 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.