American Folk Figure. On May 19, 1900 he was chasing a mule near present day Tonopah, Nevada, when he happened upon a rock containing silver ore. Out of that small incident grew one of the richest mining districts in the history of the West and a city which hosted the likes of Jack Dempsey, Wyatt Earp and Howard Hughes, among others. Butler became wealthy, as did many Tonopah residents associated with him. (bio by: Barry Sharpe)  Family links:  Parents:  Emily Frances Simons Red (1838 – 1913)  Spouse:  Belle Butler (1861 – 1922)* *Calculated relationship