The Norris family returned to their kids’ elementary school one May evening anxious to celebrate the history of their school, Butler Elementary.

Paging through PTA minutes and history books, looking at pictures through the years, they, and dozens of other families pieced together that Butler students have studied in the area for more than 140 years, 100 of which has been on its current corner.

Back in 1881, a one-room log-framed school known as the Butler schoolhouse, served the schoolchildren in the community then known as Butlerville, for a dozen years. 

When that building was bursting with children, a larger school building was built adjacent to the original school, on the north side of Fort Union Boulevard, across the street from current Butler Elementary. In the new structure, upper grades were taught. Later, four more classrooms were added for the lower grades as well as a bell tower. For 30 years, boys would ring the bell, announcing the beginning of a school day.

In 1905, school districts consolidated, and Jordan School District oversaw the school, which was in dilapidated condition, but with limited funding, students continued to attend the schoolhouse. 

In 1922, Butler residents petitioned the school board for a new school and by 1923, a new building was constructed. The former Butler schoolhouse and bell tower were signed over to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and stood until 1936. Neighbors kept the bell safe until a new bell tower was built in 1997 and the 340-pound bell was returned to its new tower. 

“What many people didn’t know is there were tunnels going from the old school to the new school that went underneath the road,” said former Butler Elementary head secretary Teresa Draney. “I’m not sure what they were used for; they didn’t let us down there.”

The “new” Butler Elementary served students until the current school was constructed in 2016 as part of a $250-million bond.

“We’ve looked at the old pictures and at school, the kids had fun when they formed ‘100’ in the rain for a drone photo,” parent Mary Beth Norris, who was joined with her husband, Greg, fifth-grader Marguerite and third-grader Bridger. “I think tonight is special. We got here and the kids put on the 100-year glasses, and I took a picture under the balloons.”

Families also could try old-time games such as walking on cups as stilts, card games, checkers and have a slice of the birthday cake or some old-fashioned candy at tables filled with framed old photos. Students could even take chalk to write on a blackboard because “these kids have never written on a chalkboard, which to think about is crazy,” said organizer and PTA president Emily Brown.

When the PTA looked into Butler Elementary’s history it was “kind of blurry,” she said.

“We decided to make it simpler and celebrate 100 years of this fourth Butler school at this location,” she said. “It’s a great community feel to the event and a chance for everyone to feel like they’re part of something special with this celebration.”

She said she puts it simply to the students: “Butler has had schools for more than 100 years; that’s older than your grandparents.”

Alumni, like Caryn Norton O’Malley, returned to the school grounds where she attended the third Butler Elementary. She now has two children, third-grader Alex and first-grader Xena, attending the fourth Butler school.

“I left here after sixth grade in 2000,” she said. “Mr. Hinkley was here and he had this very amazing mustache, clean shaven like (William) Riker from ‘Star Trek’ sort of vibes. I haven’t left the community; in fact, I bought my parents’ house because I love this community and school. The biggest change, besides the new school, is they have more classes than I did. I love they get STEM classes and they have Brain Boosters and there’s dual immersion offered. I remember it was a big deal when we got to work on the computers in the computer lab and then, before we left, we’d back up everything on our floppy disks. It seems like there are more community events now than when I went here, but we did have a school carnival at the end of the year every year and we’d go to Hansen Planetarium and Hogle Zoo for field trips.”

O’Malley remembers walking across the street to the LDS church for a centennial bell celebration.

“It used to be the school bell, not when I was here, but years back. The community felt it should stand where it once did, where the original school was so we went there as students to be a part of that ceremony,” she said. “I think that was the first and only time I heard it ring.”

Draney worked at the third Butler Elementary until the building “was so run down, it had leaks in the ceiling.” Even so, she said Butler has always had a strong PTA with lots of volunteers and activities. 

Draney was part of the PTA and a parent classroom volunteer, with her children attending the school, back in the era of open classrooms in the 1980s. 

“There were open areas, but with so much going on, it was hard for them to teach and learn with the noise level. It got so that they put the walls in. But the rooms were small, and there weren’t any windows, which bothered the community,” she said. “We did have a basement in the old school which had an old coal furnace. Some of us staff went down there one day, probably close to five o'clock. We were creeping down there as it was a scary place and then suddenly, the furnace goes on and it just scared us, so we ran out of there screaming.”

She said the community has been involved in the students’ education and “the school fundraisers have allowed us to put more technology in this building.”

It was the time when the PTA gave the school an Atari 800 computer with two floppy disk drives, according to the Butler Bulletin in 1983. It further stated, “We hope that all of the children will have the opportunity to be exposed to the computer by the end of the school year.”

Butler served “as high as 650 students before it dropped. When Cottonwood Heights Elementary closed (in 2005) and they consolidated us, it got us back up to 600,” said Draney, who worked as a kindergarten aide and a recess aide before being part of the office staff from 1996 through June 2023.

Up until the sixth graders moved into middle school in 2013, there was an annual Valentine’s dance.

“It was a big deal for those sixth graders. The kids learned to dance, they learned manners and they all got out on the dance floor together to dance to a DJ,” she said. “We also used to have mountain men come in and tell stories for students. Now, the teachers are doing Mining Day and are doing an excellent job.”

When Butler Elementary started the French dual immersion program in 2009, “it brought a lot of culture and made it an even more desirable school. Our sense of community increased more so.”

While the current World Night event features students by grade level performing a traditional dance from different countries, the precursor began under former Principal Christie Waddell, with displays and artifacts from different countries and opportunities for students to make something from those places.

“It’s evolved, and I hope the event stays. World Night has been good for the community, and everyone puts a lot into it,” she said. “Through the years, we've had some excellent teachers. Once we started the dual immersion, we've had even more excellent teachers and (Principal) Jeff (Nalwalker) has been very good about hiring them.”

Nalwalker was amazed by the turnout.

“It far exceeded my expectations that people were excited to be a part of the 100-year celebration,” said Nalwalker, who ran the music for the limbo for the party. “A lot of current families came to be part of something that is important in the Butler community.” λ