Biography of James H. Butterfield, 1902, Baker Co. Oregon: Surnames: Butterfield, Powell, 

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Transcribed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
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An Illustrated History of Baker, Grant, Malheur and Harney Counties, pub. 1902
by Western Historical Pub. Co. of Chicago. page 296

James H. Butterfield

The birth of Mr. Butterfield was in 1831, in the state of New York, being the
son of Zimeny and Fillitta (Powell) Butterfield, natives, respectively, of New
Hampshire and Pennsylvania. They came to Illinois in an early day and settled
on a farm that is now embraced in the city of Chicago. At the age of seventeen
years our subject went to the Wisconsin river lumber region and operated as a
lumberman for a number of years, then he returned to Chicago and remained
there until 1859, when he made the weary journey from there to California
across the plains with horse teams. Hangtown, in the Golden state, was the
first point at which he arrived and there he commenced mining and at that
industry he has continuously been engaged since. In 1881 he came to Eagle
valley and since that time his home has been there. He is the owner of some
valuable properties in Maiden gulch near the Powder river, where he has done
considerable work. To one unaccustomed to mining, the work that is necessary
to open up a vein in nature's vaults might seem inconsiderable but to the
initiated, it speaks volumes that one has opened a mine and put a property on
the producing list by the labor of his own hands, and to whom, more than to
these same hardy and intrepid prospectors and developers do we owe that in
Baker county have been opened some of the most valuable mines in the world?
Surely the tribute that is generally paid to these doughty and faithful men is
all too small, for had it not been for their herculean labors the vaults of
nature would be as securely locked today as ever since the time that the
glittering mineral was first placed there for our use. As a real leader among
this class stands the subject of this sketch, and his faithfulness is
recognized by all and he enjoys the confidence of his fellows in an unlimited
measure.

Mr. Butterfield has become the father of two children: Chauncy J. and Lila M.