Jerry and Linda Butler

Christopher Columbus Butler was born 1855 in Alabama as the first child of James M. Butler and Amanda Bishop. In 1857, Columbus moved with his father and mother to Walker Co. AL to live on a land patent purchased by his father. In 1861, Columbus moved with the family to northern Alabama. By 1870, Columbus had moved to Decatur Co. TN along with his parents and several siblings. Columbus farmed and raised cotton along with his brothers Austin and Patrick in Decatur Co. near Point Pleasant, TN.

In 1875, Columbus married Sarah A. Turnbo in Decatur Co. TN. They had two children - Mary T. and Edgar Edd. Mary died young; Ed survived to adulthood.

In 1883, Columbus purchased the first land owned by the Butler family in Decatur County. The land was purchased from W. H. Bogan from the estate sale of J. D. Reynals based on a judgment against James K. Martin. This land contains the current Butler Cemetery in Decatur Co. TN.

Also in 1883, Columbus married Mary E. Edwards. Columbus and Mary had five children, Ella, Flora, Alva, Amanda Caroline, and Nora Mae Butler. All survived to adulthood and married. Mary died in 1894 and is buried in the Butler Cemetery in Decatur Co. TN.

Columbus married a third time in Henderson Co. in 1897 with his marriage to Lottie Fagg. Columbus and Lottie had one son, David Benjamin. Ben was a World War II veteran and was present at the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Columbus was somewhat of a land trader and owned various pieces of land in the local area. Lottie died in 1917 and Columbus died in 1920. They are both buried in the Butler Cemetery on the land that Columbus purchased in 1883.

State of Tennessee
Decatur County
Whereas Robert Shannon, Adm to estate of J. D. Reynals deceased recovered a judgement for the sum of two hundred and twenty dollars and thirty cents debt & four dollars and ninety five cents cost against James K. Martin et al in the Circuit Court of Decatur County Tennessee on the 19th day of June 1878 and which came to the hands of Isaac McMillan Sheriff of Decatur County Tennessee which has levied on the following tract or parcel of land bounded as follows to wit Bounded on the west by the lands of Boggan & Martin on the South by the lands of Wyatt on the East by the lands of R T Simmons on the North by the lands of Holland Levied on as the property Paul E Patton and after having advertised and given notice according to law the said McMillan Sheriff offered the said land at public sale at the Court House Doors of said county on the 8th day of August 1878 agreeable to said advertisement and notice and W H Boggan being the highest and best bidder the same was struck off to him at the price of two hundred and ninety five dollars and 51 cents. The same being to him in hand paid. And the said W H Boggan afterwards to wit transferred said bid to C C Butler. Therefore in consequence of the promise of E E Arnold sheriff of Decatur County Tennessee and successor to Isaac McMillan former Sheriff I hereby transfer and convey the same to the Said C C Butler and his heirs and assigns forever all the right title and interest the said Paul E Patton has to said land of __ acres for the said consideration of three hundred dollars in hand paid and one hundred dollars due the 25th day of December 1884 for which it is expressly understood that there is a lien retained on said land for the purchase money on payment of the one hundred dollars note due to W H Boggan to have and to hold the same forfeits the CC Butler his heirs and assigns forever in as full and simple a manner as I as Sheriff can or ought to convey But no further or otherwise witness my signature this the 3rd day of December 1883.
E E Arnold Sheriff of Decatur County

From Gordon H. Turner, Sr., The History of Scotts Hill, Tennessee (Carter Printing Company, Southaven, Mississippi, 1977).

In the early 1890's, Prof. Benard A. Tucker built a nice frame building in which he lived and "took in boarders" for the college which he founded. This historic old place is now owned by Mrs. Ozie Creasy and is occupied by Mrs. Beulab Austin and her sons, Seaman and Eugene. Gay-90's homes were erected near the Tucker house by the Will Stubblefields, Ben McClanahans, P. H. Stephens, and Nat Huggins families. Our Mack Wicker recently built his home on the site of the Stubblefield place which had been occupied, after the Stubblefields left here, by the Columbus Butler, A. O. Magers, and Otis Clenney families.

In the 1880 census, the Christopher Columbus Butler family is recorded twice. On June 19, 1880, they are living next door to his apparent brother Thomas A. Butler in dwelling 206. On June 29, 1880, they are living next door to his father, James M. Butler in dwelling 304. Either the family moved and was recorded twice or it is a recording error by the census taker.

In the 1920 Decatur County TN census, Columbus Butler is living in the John H. Moore household.