When two Florida travelers entered the city last month by way of the Gen. Richard Butler Bridge, they likened the trip to a passage through time.

"We were crossing the bridge between our old world and the new," said Judith Carlock of Bradenton, 60, who was traveling with her mother, 90-year-old Winifred Shine Fryzel of Key West.

The two are descendants of Thomas Butler, a brother to Gen. Richard Butler, for whom the county and city are named.

"I came here to "hoe around the family tree and see what I could come up with," Fryzel said. "The best part is underground."

Fryzel is a great-great-great-granddaughter to Thomas Butler, making her a second great-grandniece to Gen. Richard, whose mark on history until recently was largely unknown to the women.

Since the Thomas Butler descendants have long resided in Florida, Fryzel and her daughter knew much about their direct ancestry there. They had heard about Thomas, an Army lieutenant who died of yellow fever while awaiting court marshal for refusing to cut his ponytail.

His son, Robert Thomas, was then raised by Andrew Jackson, a family friend. Robert Thomas became Florida's first land surveyor.

Despite having heard those stories, the women had little knowledge of their forebearer's siblings, which included Gen. Richard along with Edward, William and Percival, Mary, Rebecca and Eleanor.

"My grandmother and great-uncle always told us 'You come from a great and glorious family' — but they didn't' tell us why," Fryzel said.

Judith became aware when, working as a kindergarten teacher several years ago, her teacher's aide — a 1956 Butler High School graduate — wore a Butler, Pa., sweatshirt. Conversation led the two to discover Carlock's ties to the Butler name and Gen. Richard's significance to Western Pennsylvania.

"She told me about the commemorative plaque near the courthouse, and I said 'No way!'" Judith explained.

Judith and her mother also heard family lore while on an educational riverboat cruise in 2007, which travelled from Cincinnati to St. Louis. As part of the cruise, author James Alexander Thom spoke on the Revolutionary War.

"He knew all about our family, Richard Butler, and all of his influences in that area," Carlock said. "He knew more about our family than we did."

When the women asked how to pursue more knowledge, Thom suggested exploring resources in Butler.

"(Mom) said 'I like the name of this town. Let's go,'" Carlock recalled. The trip also included visits to other sites including the Fort Pitt Museum in Pittsburgh.

While in Butler, the women spent time in the Butler Library with Luanne Eisler, the genealogist there.

They learned more about Gen. Richard Butler, a Revolutionary War veteran who died fighting American Indians in Ohio. Richard Butler also served as a judge and a state senator in Allegheny County, which comprised land that later became Butler County.

Although Richard Butler didn't reside on that land, he had traveled through the region more than once, and it's possible that some of the 40,000-some acres he owned north of the Allegheny River could lie in today's Butler County.

While visiting Butler, Fryzel and Carlock found helpful documents like a biography on Richard Butler written by Stephen Pozar, a resident of Butler Township.

But their research also was a treat for library staff.

"This sort of thing has just never come to light before," said Eisler, who admitted initial skepticism about the women's Butler connection.

"When they came up and showed their credentials, it was like 'Holy Cow!' " she added.

"No one has ever presented that claim to me until these folks came in from Florida. It was just a real treat, and they were just really lovely, lovely people."

Fryzel, who authored a book on historic stained glass windows, also visited St. Peter's Episcopal Church, where she gifted a copy of her book. The church contains a window by noted designer Charles Connick, who is featured in the publication.

"We wanted to leave a little legacy from our side of the family somewhere in Butler as a link to our heritage," Carlock said.

"We were so thrilled to be able to come and visit some family roots and to be able to tie some of the ends together," she said. "And to make the family more of a unit instead of just pieces here and there."

Gen. Richard Butler was an officer in the American Revolutionary War who died fighting American Indians in Ohio.Born in Ireland, Butler spent part of his youth in Carlisle, Pa., where his father's gun shop still stands.He also served as a judge and state senator in Allegheny County, which included the land that in 1800 would become Butler County.In 1776, Butler served as a major in the Continental Army, participating in the Battle of Saratoga and the Battle of Monmouth. He and his four brothers, who also served, were known as the Fighting Butlers.Although already settled into civilian life, Butler returned to military duty at age 48 when Indian trouble arose in the Ohio territory. Two of his brothers, Thomas and Edward, served in the same company.According to many accounts, Richard was mortally wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, also known as St. Claire's Defeat — an incident that resulted in more loss than Custer's Last Stand.Too weak to leave the battlefield, Richard instructed Edward to abandon him and save Thomas, who had been shot in both legs.Richard died by a tomahawk blow to the head and allegedly was scalped and his heart cut out and eaten by the tribes as a tribute to his bravery.Locations named for Gen. Richard Butler also include Butler County, Ohio, where Fort Hamilton stood, as well as Butler County, Kentucky.