Ross Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
| Ross Township, Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
| Township, Census-designated place | |
| Township of Ross | |
House in the historic Evergreen Hamlet neighborhood
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| Nickname(s): North Hills, Ross, McKnight | |
 Location in Allegheny County and state of Pennsylvania |
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| Coordinates: 40°31′35″N 80°1′19″W / 40.52639°N 80.02194°WCoordinates: 40°31′35″N 80°1′19″W / 40.52639°N 80.02194°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Allegheny |
| Incorporated | June 26, 1809 |
| Named for | James Ross |
| Government | |
| • Type | Board of Commissioners |
| • President of the Board of Commissioners | Grant Montgomery |
| • Township Manager | Douglas Sample |
| Area | |
| • Total | 14.4 sq mi (37.4 km2) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 31,105 |
| • Density | 2,200/sq mi (830/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 15116, 15202, 15209, 15212, 15214, 15229, 15237 |
| Area code(s) | 412/878 |
| Website | ross.pa.us |
| [1] | |
Ross Township is a township of the first class in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. Ross Township is a sprawling suburban community about 6 miles north of the city of Pittsburgh. While most areas of the Township are residential, a strong retail corridor is located along McKnight Road, along with business districts on US Route 19 and Babcock Boulevard. The population of the township was 31,105 at the 2010 census. In September 2007, Ross Township adopted the Strong Mayor/Weak Council form of government allowed by Pennsylvania statutes for townships of its class.
Ross Township, along with the borough of West View, Pennsylvania, comprises the North Hills School District, and participates in the multi-municipality Northland Public Library.
On June 26, 1809, John McKnight, along with 30 other residents of Pine Township petitioned the courts of Allegheny for the formation of a new township. In the November term, permission was granted and Ross Township was born. It was so called Ross after a prominent Pittsburgh attorney James Ross. He represented Western Pennsylvania at the convention to ratify the Pennsylvania Constitution in 1790. Ross was a United States Senator and the personal land lawyer to George Washington.
Many of the early settlers lived in fear of the Native American since many Indians did not agree with Chief Cornplanter’s treaty with George Washington in 1784. For Ross Township was the Seneca tribe’s hunting grounds and the “white” men were trespassers. Not until 1794 did Casper Reel decide to finally settle in our area, after being formally chased out by a group of Indians. His twin sons, David and Casper Junior became the first white men born north of Pittsburgh.
One of Ross Township’s earliest claims to fame was the roads that passed through the area. The Native Americans traveled the Venango Path, later called the Franklin Road, and was one of the most important routes used by Commodore Oliver Perry in the “Battle of Lake Erie” in the War of 1812. After his victory, the road was once again changed to the Perrysville Plank Road. During this time the road had large wooden planks on one side to assist in traveling during inclement weather. It wasn’t until State Senator Herman P. Brandt petitioned to have the road paved from the city line to Perrysville in the 1920s. The road changed names once again to what is now known as Perry Highway.
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