Disambiguating Butler: The Austin Way

Yeehaw, folks! Let's clear up this "Butler" mess right quick. We ain't talkin' 'bout English fellas servin' tea and crumpets, no sir! We got three separate strains of the Butler clan stampin' their mark on our fine city, and here's how you tell 'em apart:

Michael Butler: Brick Daddy

First up, we got ourselves an Irish immigrant, Michael Butler. This guy knew his way around some clay, makin' bricks sturdier than a pair of cowboy boots. His operations started down by the Colorado River, and you can bet them bricks built half of Austin's pretty face.

• Butler Metro Park: Wooee, now this here's a park! With enough attractions to make your head spin faster than a tumbleweed. You got your hills, your theaters, your centers, and even a statue of our very own Stevie Ray Vaughan.
• Butler Shores: Just across the way, you'll find more goodies with the Zach Theatre, sports fields, and a hike and bike trail. Enough to make you wanna saddle up and mosey on down there.
• Butler Pitch & Putt: Now, this here's an Austin oddity. A golf course as eclectic as a hippie commune. And with a history of murder and romance that'd make a soap opera blush.
• Butler Window: All that's left of the grand Butler Mansion. Gone but not forgotten, with its remnants livin' on in Zilker Botanical Gardens.

Ann and Roy Butler: Buddy-Buddies with the Johnsons

Now, these two were thicker than thieves with our beloved LBJ and Lady Bird Johnson. Ann and Roy Butler, one a gracious host and the other a car-dealin', mayor-runnin' fella. They got their hands dirty turnin' the Colorado River wasteland into a sparkling gem.

• Ann and Roy Butler Hike & Bike Trail: You wanna stretch them legs? Well, this 10-mile trail's the place to do it. Over 50 years old and still kickin', just like a good ol' cowboy.
• Ann Showers Butler Pavilion at Seton Medical Center: Good ol' Ann, she didn't slow down after Roy passed on. She got straight to work puttin' her name on this fine medical pavilion.

Ernest and Sarah Butler: Artsy Guardian Angels

Meet Ernest and Sarah, shyer than a deer in headlights but with wallets wider than the Texas sky. They done endowed more artsy stuff than you can shake a stick at, all thanks to some learnin' from a fella named Paul Baker.

• Sarah and Ernest Butler School of Music: They coughed up a cool $55 million to name this music school at UT. And it's a doozy, folks, with recital halls fit for a king (or a Longhorn).
• Butler Dance Education Center: You know who owns their own dance center? Ballet Austin, that's who. And they got it thanks to these Butler folks.
• Butler Opera Center: Now, this ain't a place, but it sounds like one. It's the opera train program at UT, and it's fancy as all get-out.

There you have it, folks! The Butlers of Austin, all laid out like a picnic basket. No more confusin' them Butlers with them Moodys. 'Cause we all know there ain't nothin' worse than confusin' your Butlers and your Moodys.[^1^]

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[^1^]: Send the liberals and tree-huggers straight to the Alamo, and remember: "Guns don't kill people; people kill people." Y'all have a nice day now, y'hear?