James and his son, Edward, share a tombstone in the Sprague Catholic cemetery.
------
Butler, Edward d. Feb 13, 1890; 23 years (TS-SE-131 shared stone)
Butler, James (d. May 12, 1897; 76 years TS-SE-131 shared stone; 2 foot stones J B & E B)
------
The tomstone can be viewed on findagrave
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=44100943
1860 Census CA, Mariposa Co., Township #3, dwelling 863, 3 Aug 1860
Wm. Dedrick, 42, male, cook, b. Germany
James Butler, 35, male, miner, b. Ireland
Catherine " , 21, female, Indian, b. CA
Ellen, 2, female, Indian, b. CA
Mary, 4/12, female, Indian, b. CA
It appears that James became naturalized in 1862
Butler, James; Great Britain; Aug 6 1866; County Court; p. 163 vol B
http://www.mariposaresearch.net/nat1854-1906.html
1870 Census CA, Mariposa Co., Township #3, dwelling 241, p. 124, 2 July 1870
Butler, James, 46, male, white, Stock Raiser, $200 Real Estate, b. Ireland, father foreign born, mother foreign born,
" Catherine J., 30, female, Indian, keeping house, b. CA, father foreign born, mother foreign born, cannot read or write.
" Ellen, 12, female, Indian, at home, b. CA, father foreign born, cannot write
" Mary, 10, female, Indian, at home, b. CA, father foreign born, cannot write
" James, 8, male, Indian, at home, b. CA, father foreign born
" John, 6, male, Indian, at home, b. CA, father foreign born
" Edward, 4, male, Indian, at home, b. CA, father foreign born
" Joseph, 8/12, male, Indian, at home, b. CA, father foreign born
1872 Great Register of Mariposa County
line 64 "Butler, James" 47 Ireland Farmer Chowchilla
http://www.mariposaresearch.net/GR.html
1880 Census, California, Tehama Co., Tehama Twp., dwelling 86
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Butler, J., white, 54, married, laborer, b:Ireland/Ireland/Ireland
" , Catherine, mulatto, 40, married, wife, keeping house, cannot read/write, b: CA/CA/CA
" , Ellen, mulatto, 22, daughter, single, at home, b: CA/Ireland/CA
" , Mary, mulatto, 20, daughter, single, at home, b: CA/Ireland/CA
" , James, mulatto,18, son, single, laborer, b: CA/Ireland/CA
" , John, mulatto, 18, son, single, laborer, b: CA/Ireland/CA
" , Edward, mulatto, 14, son, single, laborer, b: CA/Ireland/CA
" , Joseph, mulatto, 10, son, b: CA/Ireland/CA
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
James BUTLER
Sex: M
Birth: 1821 in Ireland
Death: 13 MAY 1897 in Edwall, Lincoln Co, WA
Burial: Sprague, Lincoln Co, WA
Note: Catholic Cemetery, buried with his son Edward
Note: Came from Ireland to Mariposa during the gold rush.
Marriage 1 Mary Catherine BROWN b: 1837 in Mariposa, CA
Married: 8 SEP 1867 in Mariposa, CA
Children
Ellen BUTLER b: 1858 in Mariposa Co., CA
Mary BUTLER b: 1860 in mariposa Co., CA
James BUTLER b: 1862 in Mariposa Co., CA
John BUTLER b: 1864 in Mariposa Co., CA
Edward BUTLER b: 1867 in Mariposa Co., CA
Joseph BUTLER b: NOV 1869 in Mariposa Co., CA
[Information written by Agnes Butler Strong]
James, a freckled faced, redheaded Irishman, was born in 1824 and immigrated from Ireland to California, during the Irish Potatoe Famine, in search of gold and adventure. He sailed first to New York where he caught the ship Columbia that sailed on the 12th of February 1850, around the Horn with several stops including Rio De Janiero, Chile, Panama, Mexico and finally San Francisco, arriving on the 6th of June after 114 days. The ship was crowded beyond the limits of comfort. James and Catherine met in Mariposa, CA and were married by a priest, although he couldn't speak Spanish or Indian and she couldn't speak English. At the time of their marriage, they already had 4 children. They lived in Mariposa, CA. where all of their children were born. James was granted 160 acres of land in 1859 to the northwest of Mariposa and, according to county records, petitioned for roads along with his neighbors. The Butler family moved from Mariposa around 1871 when their daughter Mary was about 10. She remembered taking the mule up in the mountains and washing gold out of the creek, never thinking there was enough to make it North while they journeyed West by wagon. They were in Tehama, CA in 1880 and daughter Ellen married Sam Moomaw in 1881 in Penleton, Oregon.The family left the 1st of May arriving in Walla Walla the 1st of October 1883. They spent some time there where the boys worked in the harvest. They staked a claim and built a sod house in Edwall, Washington.