[2] The township is named after Col. Zebulon Butler; he is most famous for his action at the Battle of Wyoming, which resulted in his defeat by British-allied forces.

Family members held positions as pioneers, land developers, justices of the peace, postmasters, school presidents, educators, tailors, shoe makers, hotel proprietors, lawyers, and Pennsylvania state legislators.

[4] In 1738, Philip Drum, aged 36, immigrated to America from Germany with his eight-year-old son Jacob.

In 1749, Jacob married Catharine Strauss, who gave birth to a son, George, on June 12, 1762, in Williams Township, Northampton County.

[6][7][8][9][10][11] In 1808, Philip Drum (son of George Sr.) bought land in Luzerne County from Benjamin Rush,[12] who was a close advisor to George Washington during the American Revolutionary War[13] and signed the United States Declaration of Independence.

George Drum's two century old estate still stands in immaculate condition in Conyngham and is a fine example of colonial architecture.

[7] Further community and land development by family members made Drums and St. Johns the commercial centers of Butler Township.

[14] The Luzerne County Fresh Air Camp was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

Its villages include Beech Mountain Lakes, Drums, Edgewood, Kis-Lyn, Nescopeck Pass (also in Dorrance Township), St. Johns, and Sand Spring.

Butler Township has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Dfb) and the hardiness zone is 6a.