Butler County was formed in 1803, the same year that Ohio became a state. The county lost some land in 1808 when Preble County was formed, and again in 1815 when Warren County took some land from Butler's north-east corner. Consequently, the county is a little smaller now than what it was originally. These abstracts generally contain the following information: type of transaction (most are deeds but there are also quitclaims, mortgages, etc.);grantor(s) and grantee(s) with the place of residence for one or both of the parties;the section, township and range of the property;date of the transaction and date of the recording;signers and witnesses;and miscellaneous tidbits such as "Final payment due," "no wife's signature" and "Land now lived upon by." Maps enhance the text.