Deerfield Township near Maineville in Warren County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Butterworth Station / Butterworth Family Contributions
Butterworth Station. Butterworth Station (seen across the field) was the southernmost station on the Underground Railroad in Warren County. Built in 1820, it was the home of Benjamin and Rachael Moorman Butterworth. As Quakers and abolitionists who opposed slavery in their home state of Virginia, they purchased 1,500 acres along the Little Miami River and moved to Ohio in 1812. Until nearly 1850, at great personal risk, the family fed and sheltered large numbers of runaway slaves before transporting them to the next station. When the Little Miami Railroad was built in the 1840s, Henry Thomas Butterworth donated land and water and assisted with the construction. In appreciation, the railroad created a stop here called Butterworth Station and gave his family lifetime passes. On this site, a water tower with a passenger waiting area was built that served as a railroad water station for decades.
Butterworth Family Contributions. At a time when one-room schools were the norm, William Butterworth, son of Benjamin and Rachael, planned a private school of higher learning - the Maineville Academy. Located in Maineville, the two-story brick Academy opened in 1848 with Professor John W.B. Foster as headmaster. A boardwalk from Foster to the academy was built for students who arrived by train. Many who attended the Academy, and their descendants, made a name for themselves. Clarkson, son of Moorman Butterworth, was a skilled mathematician, writer, and historian. William's son, Benjamin, swerved as a five-term Congressman and U.S. Director of Patents. Benjamin's son, William, married Katherine Deere, granddaughter of John Deere. As president of Deere & Company, William successfully introduced the company's first line of tractors. In 1930, William and Katherine donated 150 acres to the Girl Scouts to establish Camp Butterworth.
Erected 2015 by Friends of the Twenty Mile House, Ohio History Connection. (Marker Number 16-83.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • Education • Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1820.
Location. 39° 18.188′ N, 84° 15.345′ W. Marker is near Maineville, Ohio, in Warren County. It is in Deerfield Township. Marker can be reached from Little Miami Scenic Trail. Marker is on the Little Miami Scenic Trail, about 1 mile south of the Trail Head parking lot on Old 3C Highway, at West Foster- Mainesville Road, Rd 23. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 8969 Davis Rd, Maineville OH 45039, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Jeremiah Morrow's Barn (approx. 0.3 miles away); 25th Anniversary (approx. 2.3 miles away); The Little Miami Railroad (approx. 2.4 miles away); Public Water Works (approx. 2.4 miles away); 2002 (approx. 2.8 miles away); 2001 (approx. 2.8 miles away); 2003 (approx. 2.8 miles away); 2000 (approx. 2.8 miles away).
Credits. This page was last revised on July 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 24, 2018, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,215 times since then and 116 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on July 24, 2018, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.