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 belove

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