History of Benner Township

    Benner Township was established in 1853. It was named for General Philip Benner, an early ironmaster who came to this area in 1793. General Benner established the first iron forge in this area at Rock, along the banks of Spring Creek. He also constructed a nail and slitting mill at this site.

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    Wild game abounded and was the main staple of the diet of early Township settlers. There were bears, panthers and wolves in such plentitude that no man thought of going out after dark without a rifle, and, as a rule, no man traveled alone after nightfall. Though buffalo no longer roamed this land since 1769, the name Buffalo Run was derived from a prominent buffalo lick located in the valley.

    The earliest recorded inhabitants of the valley were the Delaware and Shawanese Indian tribes who belonged to the Iroquois league. These tribes had numerous paths that criss-crossed this territory and were later used as roads by the settlers.

    In the early 1800's many families of Scotch-Irish heritage came to the Buffalo Run Valley to farm the gently rolling hills.

This site has been developed and is maintained by Benner Township. This page was last updated on February 26, 2004.