American Hard Rubber Company - 1898, Butler, NJ - New Jersey Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

The building is currently being used for some small shops.

The following is from the Butler Museum Website:

The growth of Butler is linked to the development of the rubber industry in the area, dating to 1869. The continuous takeover of the smaller rubber companies led to the formation of the Rubber Comb and Jewelry Company in 1876. Richard Butler was elected President of this company which became known as the Butler Hard Rubber Company in 1882.

Richard Butler was a founder and trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a member of the Committee to erect the Statue of Liberty. Under Butler's management, the company's production and sales increased, and the town's population grew. In July 1881, the village of West Bloomingdale changed its Post Office address to Butler, New Jersey, in honor of the man who had brought prosperity to the town.

Butler purchased 72 acres of farmland for residential development for his workers. Streets were laid out and homes were built for sale to employees. Property was donated for a Catholic and Methodist church and for a public school. Other factories were built, small businesses appeared on Main Street, the population increased, freight and passenger train service thrived.

The Borough of Butler was incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 13, 1901. Richard Butler proudly gave permission to name this community for him. Within seven years, municipal water and electric companies were formed. In 1902, the Butler volunteer fire department was founded. Law enforcement was handled under the marshal system from 1901 until 1939 when Butler's Police Department was started. In 1975, the borough purchased the abandoned railroad station and presented it to the Butler Historical Society as the new home of the Butler Museum.

The heyday of the factories ended with the Pequanoc Rubber Company fire in 1957 and the plant closing of the Amerace Corporation (American Hard Rubber Company) in 1974. The final presence of the rubber industry in Butler ended when the Amerace Corporation headquarters closed in the 1980's.

Marker Name: American Hard Rubber Company Marker Type: Local? Unofficial Marker text: AMERICAN HARD RUBBER COMPANY 1898 COMPANY, AND AFFILIATED PREDECESSORS, OLDEST MANUFACTURER OF HARD RUBBER PRODUCTS IN THE WORLD. BUTLER, MODEL INDUSTRIAL VILLAGE, DEVELOPED AROUND RUBBER INDUSTRY. IN 1880, TOWN NAMED FOR RICHARD BUTLER, RUBBER EXECUTIVE MORRIS COUNTY HERITAGE COMMISSION Dedication Date: 01/01/1979 City: Butler County: Morris Group responsible for placement: Morris County Heritage Commission Web Link: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
A photo of the 'Marker' or 'Plaque' is required to identify the location, plus a picture of the 'Historic Site', please ALSO provide a detailed description of your visit so we can form a 'mental image'

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.