William H. Butts Biography, Genesee County, Michigan

This Biography extracted from “Portrait and Biographical Record of 
Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties, Michigan…”, published be Chapman 
Bros., Chicago (1892), p. 962-963


This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives.




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WILLIAM H. BUTTS, one of the first pioneers and most venerable citizens 
of Grand Blanc Township, Genesee County, was born October 7, 1827 in 
Dutchess County, N. Y. His parents, David W., and Perlina (Rusted) 
Butts, were natives of the Empire State and emigrated in 1836 to 
Genesee County, Mich., bringing with them a yoke of oxen to use as 
their team. They procured land at $1.25 per acre and made their home in 
a log cabin whose dimensions were 12x16 feet and there they resided for 
a number of years. Later they built a good farm house on the site where 
our subject now resides.

   The parents of our subject had to undergo severe self-denials in 
their early life here. Three of their four children are now living: 
William H., Melinda, wife of Willis Swartout and Perlina, wife of 
Thomas Wright. In the early part of his life the father was a Democrat 
but became a Republican during the Civil War.

   The usual experiences of a pioneer boy were those of our subject in 
his youth, and he assisted in surveying and laying out many sections of 
this county. The land was hard to break in those early times and he has 
employed in this work as many as six yoke of oxen at a time. He cleared 
two farms alone and helped to clear a third. He was a good huntsman and 
brought down many a wolf, bear, and wild turkey and more than once went 
out to hunt with the Indians. His education was exceedingly limited and 
the opportunities of that day were scant indeed, but he has ever 
pursued a system of reading which has made him a man of intelligence. 
Even after he was married and started in life he studied many a night 
until twelve o'clock, mastering school books which he did not have an 
opportunity to possess in his youth.

   Elizabeth Webster became the wife of William H. Butts on Christmas 
Day, 1850. She is a daughter of the Rev. James and Elizabeth Webster 
and a native .of Hudson, N. Y. Her father has done a great amount of 
pioneer work on the circuit, and kept appointments in many a 
schoolhouse which he could reach only by riding on horseback through 
long stretches of territory. The family is distantly related to the 
great statesman, Daniel Webster. Four of the five children of Mr. and 
Mrs. Butts are now living. Alice, is the widow of George Belford; Eliza 
is the wife of the Rev. J. I. Atkins of the church of the United 
Brethren, and the sons are George W. and Charles G.

   For seven years Mr. Butts has served as Notary Public and he was the 
first Postmaster of South Grand Blanc postoffice of which he had charge 
for many years, and is deeply interested in schools and other means of 
improvement. He operated a mercantile business for three years in a 
building which is still located on his farm and he also carried on for 
a long while both blacksmithing and wagon-making, being a natural 
mechanic. He is a Republican in his political views and has served as 
Constable for two years besides declining offers of other important 
offices. His handsome property of one hundred and ten acres is the 
result of his own thorough and enterprising work and we take pleasure 
in presenting a sketch of his life here.