M. E. Button, a rancher near San Bernardino, was born in Onondaga County, New York, and moved to Ohio when he was twenty-three years old and engaged in farming.
There, in 1834, he was married to Miss Mary Bittles, also from York State, the daughter of Thomas and Ann (Spence) Bittles, both natives of Ireland. They had six children, and moved to Geauga County, Ohio, when Mary was seventeen years of age, where he engaged in farming until his death, which occurred in 1889. Mr. Button lived two years at Salt Lake, where he stopped on his way to the Golden State. He left Salt Lake in March 1850, and arrived here in June of the same year. When he first came he purchased fifty acres of land and some city lots. He sold out after four years and subsequently purchased fifteen acres where he now resides, three miles southeast of San Bernardino. He has had ten children, viz.: James, who died at the age of twenty-three; Jetsan, now fifty-two years of age, and married to Ellen Taylor; Louisa, died at the age of twenty-five, the wife of Reuben Anderson; Samuel, died young; Charles, who now lives with his parents and has charge of the ranch; the rest of the children died in infancy. Mr. Button is a Mason, and belongs to the Democratic Party. He and his faithful wife are now among the oldest people in the county.