Butler County was created on March 12, 1800. Like other Pennsylvania counties, it was named for a Revolutionary War hero, in this case, General Richard Butler. This seems appropriate for a county whose lands were made up in large part of Donation and Depreciation lands given to veterans of that war. In 1803 the county was formally organized for judicial purposes, with the Borough of Butler named the county seat. The county’s story is typically American: European immigrants–especially those from Ireland and Germany–supplanted Native Americans In the 19th century, Butler County was for a while the home of the utopian Harmony Society and it was an important Underground Railroad station. The 20th century brought bituminous coal mining to the region, and by World War II, Butler had become a major producer of railroad cars, military vehicles, rolled steel and glass. Quite remarkable considering half the county is still covered in forest.