He was born in 1850 in LeRoy, Genesee County, New York and attended local schools.
His news career began with the local paper LeRoy Gazette (in Le Roy, New York), then moved on to Scranton Times as city editor and the same position at Scranton Free Press.
Butler moved to Buffalo in 1873 to start the news and later the Bradford Sunday News in 1879.
He was the father of Edward Hubert Butler Jr., who was publisher and editor of the Evening News as well as owner of two local radio stations.
Butler Sr. married Mary Elizabeth Barber in 1871, who died in 1893.
Butler died in Buffalo, New York on March 9, 1914.[1] His publishing business was left to his son.