The former Bantam Jeep building is no more after a massive fire Sunday, Nov. 2, destroyed the building leaving owners no choice but to demolish the structure Monday, Nov. 3.

More than 50 firefighters from 11 fire stations worked for hours to battle the three-alarm blaze. As they pulled up to the scene just before 2 a.m., the roof of the historic structure collapsed.

The Army awarded a contract to Bantam Jeep in 1940 for 1,500 vehicles and the company finished the work by May 1941. The Army had been exploring options for a vehicle capable of transporting people and cargo and the Jeep was born — right here in Butler.

The company never produced another Jeep, as the Army’s future contracts went to Willys-Overland and Ford, but the Jeep legacy was firmly established and has remained a beloved piece of history both in Butler and across the country. The Jeep was credited with providing the United States with a necessary advantage that helped us win the war.

The property has seen other iterations over the years, having passed to Armco in the 1950s, becoming an AK Steel site in the 1990s and ultimately landing with CERTA, a Cincinnati company specializing in redeveloping old industrial sites.

Other buildings on the site were torn down years ago, but the Bantam building remained.

There was a real reluctance to remove that prominent piece of Butler’s lore — the city celebrates its connection to the Jeep with the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival each summer.

Next year’s event will be the 15th anniversary of the festival. This year, Butler saw more than 2,000 Jeeps roll into town from across the continent.

Losing the building is a shame, and the work to investigate the fire’s cause is important work. But, this fire and the demolition of the original building will not sever Butler’s attachment to or affection for the Jeep.

The building represented the city’s role in our nation’s military history — it’s long been an attraction for dedicated Jeepers who choose to make the pilgrimage to the birthplace of their fanaticism.

Demolishing the building won’t tear down the deep connection between Butler and the Jeep. It was an important physical piece of our history, but the City of Butler has many homages to the vehicle throughout town and losing one building won’t translate to losing the link to that part of what makes Butler special.

Butler County Commissioners would like to see something done to honor Bantam Jeep at the site whenever the property is ultimately redeveloped.

It’s anyone’s guess what will happen next at the property, but the legacy of Bantam Jeep will continue to thrive.

— KL