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Butler highlighted in Morris County. Inset map: Morris County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.

Butler is a Borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 7,420.

Butler was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 13, 1901, from portions of Pequannock Township.^[1]

Butler is located at 40°59′58″N, 74°20′47″W (40.999497, -74.346326)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 5.4 km² (2.1 mi²). 5.4 km² (2.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.96%) is water.

The area now known as Butler was originally called "West Bloomingdale" and was sparsely populated. Water power brought manufacturing entities to the area. In 1857, The Pequannock Valley Paper Company moved from Bergen County and in 1868 the Newbrough Hard Rubber Company built a factory, both based along the Pequannock River. These were two significant economic entities that contributed to the growth of the Borough. In 1869, the New Jersey Midland Railroad extended track through Butler from Paterson, making an important transportation connection for both passengers and freight. The northern terminus for the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway's passenger service was located at Butler until 1966. The railroad still carries freight through Butler.

The growing town was given the name "Butler" in 1881 after Richard Butler, who had taken ownership of the Hard Rubber Company. A Post Office was established and a larger railroad station was built. This station has been the Borough Museum since about 1977. The Hard Rubber Company eventually merged with other businesses and became the American Hard Rubber Company in 1898. A "Soft" Rubber Company built a factory just along Main Street. The town continued to grow as other factories and supporting businesses were established. The population in 1920 was 2,265 people. By 1950, it was 4,063.

Butler's largest fire began just after midnight, February 26, 1957, when one of the nation's largest rubber reclaiming mills (Pequanoc Rubber Company, Main Street) was destroyed by a $17 million blaze (a loss of about $100 million in today's dollars when adjusted for inflation). The mill occupied the site on upper Main Street, an irregular shaped complex 600 feet by 300 feet and 3 to 4 stories high; it produced over 100 tons of reusable sheet rubber daily from 200 tons of scrap. One Butler Heights resident remembers the fire being so bright she could read a newspaper in her yard at 3am at a distance of 1 mile. The glow reportedly was visible for 100 miles, mutual aid response was required by volunteer fire companies from 55 municipalities during the initial hours and then in shifts over the next week. New York City Fire Department, 30 miles away, offered help when observing the bright glow.

Numerous organizations exist in town and, along with the neighboring towns of Kinnelon and Bloomingdale, many "Tri-Boro" organizations serve the area, including the local Little League & Volunteer First Aid Squad.

Butler was the location of a Health Resort run by Benedict Lust called "Yungborn" that opened on September 15, 1896.

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 7,420 people, 2,868 households, and 2,024 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,377.3/km² (3,568.9/mi²). There were 2,923 housing units at an average density of 542.6/km² (1,405.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 94.89% White, 0.62% African American, 0.20% Native American, 1.85% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.48% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.11% of the population.

There were 2,868 households out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the borough the population was spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $57,455, and the median income for a family was $66,199. Males had a median income of $45,975 versus $35,815 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $27,113. About 2.5% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

The Borough of Butler is governed under the Borough system of municipal government. The government consists of a Borough Council which has both Legislative and Executive powers, and is comprised of six councilmen and a Mayor, all positions elected at large. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.

The Mayor of Butler is Joseph P. Heywang, whose 4-year term of office ends on December 31, 2006. Members of the Butler Borough Council are^[3]:

• Council President Raymond Verdonik (2006)
• Robert Alviene (2008)
• Roger Elliott (2007)
• Robert Fox (2006)
• Stephen Regis (2007)
• Judith Woop (2008)

Butler is in the Eleventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 26th Legislative District.^[4]

New Jersey's Eleventh Congressional District, covering western portions of Essex County, all of Morris County, and sections of Passaic County, Somerset County and Sussex County, is represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen (R, Harding Township). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

The 26th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Robert Martin (R, Morris Plains) and in the Assembly by Alex DeCroce (R, Morris Plains) and Joseph Pennacchio (R, Morris Plains). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).

Morris County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. Morris County's Freeholders are: Margaret Nordstrom (Freeholder Director), John Inglesino (Freeholder Deputy Director), Douglas R. Cabana, Frank J. Druetzler, Cecilia G. Laureys, John J. Murphy, and Jack Schrier.

The Butler Public Schools serves students in Kindergarten through 12th grade. Aaron Decker School serves grades K-4, Richard Butler School serves grades 5-8, with high school students attending Butler High School [1]. Students from Bloomingdale attend Butler High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Bloomingdale School District.

• Butler Borough website
• Butler Public Schools
• Butler Public Schools's 2005-06 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
• National Center for Education Statistics data for the Butler Public Schools
• Regional area newspaper
• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 40.999497° -74.346326°
  • Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
  • Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA

v • d • e Municipalities of Morris County, New Jersey (County seat: Morristown)
Boroughs	Butler | Chatham | Chester | Florham Park | Kinnelon | Lincoln Park | Madison | Mendham | Morris Plains | Mount Arlington | Mountain Lakes | Netcong | Rockaway | Riverdale | Victory Gardens | Wharton
Towns	Boonton | Dover | Morristown
Townships	Boonton | Chatham | Chester | Denville | East Hanover | Hanover | Harding | Jefferson | Long Hill | Mendham | Mine Hill | Montville | Morris | Mount Olive| Parsippany-Troy Hills | Pequannock | Randolph | Rockaway | Roxbury | Washington
CDPs and other communities	Budd Lake | Cedar Knolls | Cedar Lake | Convent Station | Flanders | Green Village | Lake Swannanoa | Landing | Lake Telemark | Long Valley | New Vernon | Port Morris | Stirling | Succasunna-Kenvil | Towaco | Union Hill | Whippany | White Meadow Lake