Townships, Somerset County

<center><strong>HISTORY OF THE TOWNSHIP</strong></center>Turkeyfoot derived its name from a peculiar natural configuration of the land formed by the junction of three rivers where the town of Confluence now stands. Within the territory of Lower Turkeyfoot the first settlements in Somerset county were made. Here white men dwelt in the hunting-grounds of the savages; here the … Read more

<center><strong>HISTORY OF THE TOWNSHIP</strong></center>Ogle township was formed in 1886 from the eastern part of Paint township and named for Alexander Ogle. It was mostly dense forest and when the first assessment was made in 1886, it had 618 acres of cleared land and only thirty property holders. The first and only industry in a region … Read more

<center><strong>HISTORY OF THE TOWNSHIP</strong></center>Shade township, named after Shade creek, was formed in 1814 out of the northern part of Stonycreek township. It then included the territory now known as Paint and Ogle townships. Aside from a very few early families, most of the inhabitants of Shade township are late settlers. Some of the earliest settlers … Read more

<center><strong>HISTORY OF THE TOWNSHIP</strong></center>Allegheny township was formed from a portion of Southampton in February, 1805. It takes its name from the Allegheny Mountain, which forms its western border. Settlement was slow in this portion of the county, and it was many years before this township outgrew its primitive qualities. After other portions of the county … Read more

<center><strong>HISTORY OF THE TOWNSHIP</strong></center>Summit township was organized in 1843 from adjoining portions of Elk Lick and Brother\’s Valley townships. Its territory contains much excellent land for agricultural purposes, besides abounding in minerals and timber. Jacob Castleman, a hunter who lived where Meyersdale is now located, was perhaps the first settler in the Casselman Valley, and … Read more

<center><strong>HISTORY OF THE TOWNSHIP</strong></center>Jenner township is a pleasant and prosperous farming community. It was organized in 1811 out of part of Quemahoning township, and named for Dr. Edward Jenner, the discoverer and advocator of vaccination. It is large in territory, and embraces within its limits one borough and one prosperous village. This township contains valuable … Read more

<center><strong>HISTORY OF THE TOWNSHIP</strong></center>This township was first known as Rockland Township, but for reasons unknown the name was changed to Southampton which is of English origin. It was formed in 1801 and included nearly all of that part of Londonderry Township (Bedford County) which was annexed to Somerset County on March 1, 1800. A large … Read more

<center><strong>HISTORY OF THE TOWNSHIP</strong></center>Northampton township was formed by the Somerset County Court out of part of Southampton township in 1852. It was a rugged mountainous region, small in territory, and slow to populate. The early settlers found it difficult to obtain even the necessares of life. Salt was high and difficult to obtain at almost … Read more

<center><strong>HISTORY OF THE TOWNSHIP</strong></center>Jefferson township was organized in 1847 and named in honor of the distinguished statesman and president, Thomas Jefferson. The first township election was held at the house of Henry Baker, now owned by Jonathan C. Barkley. The township contains valuable quantities of coal as well as an abundance of limestone. Vast quantities … Read more

Conemaugh Township<strong><center>HISTORY OF THE TOWNSHIP</center></strong>Conemaugh township was organized in February, 1801 out of part of Quemahoning township. The name is of Indian origin and means “long fishing place”. Conemaugh was a large township when first created as it included nearly all of the present townships of Paint and Ogle and a wide strip of Cambria … Read more