Thomas W. Phillips initially wanted to be a minister.

However, money was an issue for his family. While he was packing to go to Yale University, he could see the distressed look in his mother’s eyes. Phillips, who lived from 1835-1912, decided not to go to Yale.

“My dream of becoming a preacher was not to be,” Phillips, portrayed by actor Dean Weiland, said.

Phillips was one of the six historical Butler County figures portrayed in the “Echoes from Our Past” cemetery walk Saturday and Sunday at the North Side Cemetery.

The event was a joint effort of the Butler County Historical Society, the Butler Little Theatre and the North Side Cemetery Association.

Although Phillips’ initial dream was over, he decided to get into the oil business, inspired by an obscure passage in the Bible’s Book of Job. After initial failure, he discovered oil in 1861. He ran a company with his family, which switched from oil to natural gas.

In 1904, the company was incorporated as the T.W. Phillips Gas and Oil Co., which served customers for decades.

Another historical county figure, Bertha Laing Wise, lived from 1865 to 1952 and was a female pioneer in business. Wise was the president of the Butler Eagle from 1924 to 1933. She was portrayed by Cecilia Tomko.

Her husband, Levi Wise, bought half of the shares of the newspaper in 1902, and later bought the other half. Levi became ill during the flu epidemic of 1918, and Bertha took on responsibility at the Eagle. In 1924, Levi died and Bertha became the president of the company.

“In 1924, women simply did not run businesses,” Tomko said.

In fact, she signed all documents as “B.L. Wise” so people would not realize a woman was the president.

In 1933, her son, John, became the president of the company. Bertha remained the company’s treasurer until she died.

Another female pioneer was Jane Kearns Potts, who lived from 1770 to 1861. She came to the United States from Ireland in the late 1700s.

“Things were very bad in Ireland in those days,” said Margaret Cahill who portrayed Potts.

She came to Butler County in 1797 and got 100 acres, unusual for a woman at the time. Her future husband, John Potts, came to Butler in 1799 and was the first merchant in town, opening a store at the corner of Main and Cunningham streets. He later was named postmaster and was one of the first men elected to the town council.

Potts lived to be 92 and raised six children, which she said was difficult at the time.

“But, we did a good job. We were very proud of our children,” Cahill said.

Thomas Hoon, who lived from 1835 to 1904, served in the Civil War for nine months. He did not see much combat, but had the gruesome task of burying the dead on battlefields.

When he came home, he became a farmer. Hoon, portrayed by Jason Brewer, eventually served as Butler County’s sheriff. In 1902, convicted murderers Jack and Ed Biddle escaped from jail in Pittsburgh with the help of the warden’s wife and made it to Butler County. Allegheny County and Butler County officers tracked them down in Mount Chestnut.

“We were prepared for a confrontation, but I’d hoped things would go smoothly,” said Brewer as Hoon.

Gunfire ensued, and the Biddle brothers were fatally wounded. They died at the jail in Butler County. Interestingly, Hoon said Allegheny County police officers got into a conflict with Butler County officers, pulling their guns at the jail.

“We were angry that night,” Brewer as Hoon said.

Rolland Spaide, who lived from 1884 to 1945, had tried several trades and careers until he discovered that he liked making apparel.

In 1914, he opened the Spaide Shirt Co. on Negley Avenue in Butler. Spaide, portrayed by Mark Nutter, said the shirts were well known for their quality. In 1939, the company got the contract to make uniform shirts for the U.S. Army.

Spaide said in the 1930s, the company moved some operations to Tennessee, where labor was cheaper. The Butler plant was closed temporarily. At this time, the company was accused of violating the Wagner Act and trying to prevent unionization. When the plan reopened, 300 workers were unionized.

And Ira McJunkin, who lived from 1860 to 1935 and was portrayed by Steve Fogle, attended the U.S. Naval Academy and returned to Butler to study law. He later served in the Spanish-American War.

When he came back from the war, he opened L.S. McJunkin Real Estate and Insurance Co. with his brother. He also was president of Merchants National Bank and the Butler Beef and Provision Co.

He said he and his siblings were heavily involved with the community and the Presbyterian Church, so much so that he said that is likely why none of them had children.