Roderick Random Butler was born in Wytheville, Virginia in 1827. His father died before Roderick's first birthday. His mother remarried in 1832 and Roderick and his brother George were "bound out" for apprenticeships. Roderick was apprenticed as a tailor and moved to Taylorsville (now Mountain City) Tennessee.

In Taylorsville, Butler met and married Emeline Jane Donnelly, the daughter of a wealthy local farmer Richard Donnelly. Roderick and Emeline had 11 children.

Butler began to study law and was admitted to the bar in 1853. He also was at times justice of the peace, postmaster and county judge.

He was elected to the Tennessee State House in 1859 and in 1861 voted against seccession from the Union. For this and his loyalties he was arrested by the Confederate Army several times.

He joined the 13th Tennessee Voluntary Cavalry as a lieutenant colonel in 1863. In 1865 he was appointed circuit judge fo the 1st Judicial Circuit of Tennessee. In 1867 he was elected a member of the United States House of Representatives.

In th 1880s, Butler returned to Tennessee. His wife Emeline died in 1899 and he died in 1902. They are both buried along with other family members in Mountain View Cemetery in Mountain City. It is said that Colonel Butler was instrumental in re-naming Taylorsville to its present-day name of Mountain City.

The town of Butler is now located a short distance from Mountain City, after being relocated in 1948 when the Watauga Dam / Watauga Lake project was completed.

"April 3, 1947 Rev. M.H. Carder, pastor of the Cobb's Creek Baptist Church, called a meeting of local citizens. The schoolhouse was filled. Preacher Carder had been thinking about a new town for some time, and at the schoolhouse meeting he and the trustees of his church announced that they had acquired options on the I.W. McQueen farm."

~ "Old Butler and Watauga Academy" by Dan Crowe 1983
available at the Butler Museum Store in Butler, Tennessee (423-768-2911)

The town was named Carderview in his honor. The project to purchase the farm and quickly lay out lots for homes worked well. The land was well placed in a beautiful location that would overlook the new lake. The project moved forward quickly and the initial 130 lots were sold quickly. House-moving contractors came to the area and houses, barns, stores and other buildings were moved to the new location with great speed.

An additional 200 acre tract of land was developed next to Carderview and named "New Butler". In 1953, Congressman B. Carroll Reece helped to have the new Post Office for the area changed back to Butler. The name of Colonel Roderick R. Butler now dead for half a century was preserved.

Inevitably, when there is a "New Butler", the old town now under water and a part of the history and memories of the people of the area for centuries became "Old Butler".

Throughout this article are present-day photos of the home of Colonel Roderick R Butler, his wife Emeline and their children. The house and grounds been beautifully restored and serves as a private home.

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Links to references in this article and to sites related Colonel Roderick R. Butler::

• Biographical Directory of the US Congress
• "Butler: Old, New and Carderview" by Herman Tester
• PoliticalGraveyard.com
• 13th Tennessee Voluntary Cavalry
• A Biography of R.R. Butler
• Tennesseans in the Civil War
• Purchase Watauga Lake Map

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