Edgar Ray (E.R.) Butterworth (1847-1921), after having started a funeral directory business in Centralia, was hired to run Cross and Co. Undertakers in Seattle in 1889. In 1892, he purchased the business and renamed it E.R. Butterworth & Sons. In 1903, the Butterworth Building was opened at 1921 First Avenue in Seattle and was praised as one of the most modern facilities on the west coast. The mortuary is associated with several “firsts” in the business: it had the first hearse north of the Columbia River, and E.R. Butterworth is credited with introducing the terms “mortuary” and “mortician” into the profession.