History of Lake Butler, FL

Lake Butler is a city in Union County, Florida, United States. The population is not considered to be too huge but a perfect sized area. It is the county seat of Union County. The City of Lake Butler is named after Robert Butler, who was an American military officer and acting governor of East Florida between July 10, 1821, and July 11, 1821, after Florida was ceded to the United States by Spain. Robert Butler was born in 1786. In his youth, he joined the U.S. Army, winning the ranks of colonel and commander.

Shortly after the death of his father, Thomas Butler, Robert Butler, and his siblings became children of future president Andrew Jackson. He was a graduate of West Point and later served with superiority in the War of 1812. He served in the Battle of New Orleans as Jackson's assistant. Later, as the representative of Jackson, he received the surrender of East Florida at St. Augustine from the Spanish governor, José Maria Coppinger. Robert Butler was named The Acting Governor of East Florida on July 10, 1821, but he was only in charge for 2 days, until John R. Bell arrived to take the spot. He was later appointed as the first Surveyor-General of the area of Florida and located on a plantation near Lake Jackson near the north of Tallahassee. Robert Butler died in 1860. He is the namesake of the city of Lake Butler, Florida. The county was founded in 1921 and carved out of the original New River County, which had been created in 1858 and renamed Bradford County in 1861. Bradford was renamed just weeks after Florida suffered its first fatality in the Civil War, Confederate Army Captain Richard Bradford. Union and Bradford’s counties have a history of not getting along. Over the years this area has changed but have also improved in great ways, SWS locally offers great home security to the Lake Butler area.