Shenango Township History
Shenango
township resulted from the division of the old Neshannock township in
1805. At that time it extended north to include the territory of what
is now Hickory township as far north as Sharon. This territory was
detached to form part of Hickory township in 1833.
In the
spring
of 1796 Samuel Byers and Andrew Wylie came out of Virginia, following
the course of the Monongahela to Pittsburg and thence up the Beaver and
Shenango valleys to a point not far from the south line of what is now
Shenango township. A cabin was built, and in the course of the summer
their families were brought from Virginia and established in the
wilderness.
About the
same time with the above settlement Thomas Canon, of Philadelphia, came
into the valley, locating near Middlesex, and founding the family whose
present generation furnishes some well known names in the citizenship
of the county. Some of this family are now identified with Mill Creek
township, on the opposite side of the county.
The trade
of
weaver was certainly an unusual occupation among the pioneers. In the
majority of families the making of cloth was part of the household
pursuits. Richard Van Fleet, who arrived in Shenango township in 1798,
was a young man and by trade a weaver, but combined with that
occupation the work of farming. His name has since been borne by
numerous descendants.
William
Bell settled here in 1798. Dr.
John Mitcheltree became the first physician of this part of the county
early in the following century, and the families of both have since
lived in the county. George Walker was an Irish settler whose name is
given among the taxables of this part of the county in 1801. His
grandson is a merchant of West Middlesex.
Source: Twentieth
Century History of Mercer County, 1909, page 167-168
| Shenango
Twp. Cemeteries |
Shenango
Twp. Census Records |
Shenango
Twp. Towns & Villages |
Beulah
Cemetery
Haywood Cemetery
Presbyterian Cemetery
United Brethren
|
1840
1850
1870 |
Bethel
Furnace Hill
Mitchell
Semple's Mills
Sempletown
Stony Hill
West Middlesex
Wheeler
|
|
| Transformation of
Shenango Twp. |
Formed in 1805
|
| From Neshannock Twp. |
Then divided into
Hickory Twp.
|
|
|
