Welcome to West Penn Township

The early settlers of West Penn Township came from south of the Blue Mountain and were primarily of German origin. These settlers found evidence of Indian villages, mounds and burial grounds. Skirmishes with the Indians in the Township were not uncommon. Fort Franklin was built in 1756 near Snyders as part of a series of forts along the Blue Mountains to help maintain the safety and welfare of the first settlers. Among the first settlers in the 1760’s were Steigerwalt, Gilbert, and Ohl, who settled in the Lizard Creek area.