Plumcreek Township

Armstrong County, Pennsylvania

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Plumcreek Town Hall is located at 332 Racetrack Road, Shelocta PA 15774.
Phone: 724‑354‑3984.

Neighborhoods

In the Beers' 1914 text, the township is written as 2 words — Plum Creek.

Beginnings [1]

The name of this township was derived from the Indian name Sipuashanne, of which Plum Creek is a liberal translation. It was also called Alum creek on an old historical map of the county. The names were adopted from the creek which flows through the eastern end of the township.

Plum Creek was formed in 1809 from the division of the six original townships into which Armstrong county was divided, and included, until they were separated from it in 1821 and 1848, the townships of Wayne, Cowanshannock, Burrell and South Bend. The original limits of the township, previous to its division in 1821, were as follows: "Beginning at the fording on Mahoning creek, where the road leading from Kittanning to Reed's mill crosses said creek, thence southward along said road to the top of the creek hill, about one mile thence south 640 perches to a hickory; thence south 3 degrees west 800 perches to a post; thence south 3 degrees east to a W. O. 450 perches; thence south 43 degrees east 40 perches to a W. O. at Peck's house; thence south 5 degrees west, 1,293 perches to Cowanshannock, about 20 perches below the mouth of Huskins' run; thence south 23 degrees west 2,265 perches to the west branch of Cherry Run, about 80 perches above the mouth of Long run; thence down Cherry run to where the same puts into Crooked Creek."

The many beautiful streams with their abundant waterpower and the considerable scope of level and productive land in this section of the county early attracted settlers, and permanent settlements were made in this part before the more rugged and broken sections of the northern and western portions were populated. Being subject to attacks from the Indians, the first settlers of Plum Creek erected the ever necessary blockhouse on the land of William Clark in the southeastern part, not far from the present line of Indiana county. Another building, perforated with portholes for defense, but not originally erected as a blockhouse, stood on the road leading from Elderton to the old Crooked Creek Salt Works, on the then named Downs' farm. Both of these interesting edifices have long since passed into oblivion. George Miller was the earliest white settler in the township in 1788. He located where the Kittanning and Indiana turnpike crosses Plum creek. Twenty years later John and Peter Thomas settled about a mile and a half north of that point at "Elder's Vale," where the latter built a grist mill, afterward owned by Robert Woodward. Among the earliest emigrants to this section was Absalom Woodward, who came with his wife and two children in 1788 from Cumberland county. He was an energetic and public- spirited citizen. When the first petition for a county bridge was presented to the first county court and refused from motives of economy, he voluntarily offered to build it at his own expense and wait indefinitely for the money. His generous offer was not at once accepted, and after much red tape has been unwound was finally refused.

  1. Armstrong County Pennsylvania: Her People Past and Present, Volume I, J. H. Beers & Co., Chicago, 1914

Nearby Towns: Burrell Twp • Elderton Boro • Rural Valley Boro •


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