Harmony Township

Harmony Township was created on April 3, 1851, by an Act of the Legislature, from Economy Township. Many things happened in this area before it became a township. It included the Village of Economy, home of the Harmony Society.

Fun facts about Harmony Township:

-The Indian village of Logstown was located in the township. It was called Maugh-wa-wa-me meaning broad plains or plateaus.

Conrad Weiser and George Crohan signed the Treaty of Logstown with the Delaware, Shawnee and Wyandot Indians in 1748 laying the basis of the English claim to the Ohio-Allegheny Country.

Rev. Joseph Peter Bonnecamp, a Catholic priest with the Society of Jesus, said Mass on August 9, 1749. This was the first public religious ceremony in what was to become Beaver County. He was chaplain to French explorer Celeron de Blainville, who was sent by the Governor-General of New France to expel English traders from the area and to assert French claim.

-Virginia Lt. Gov. Robert Dinwiddie sent George Washington to French Fort LeBoeuf in 1753. He reached Logstown November 26, 1753 and conferred with Indian leaders.

-In 1754 French and English armies and traders came through the area which forced the Indians to abandon the area by 1758.

-Harmony Township was part of the Depreciation Lands after the American Revolution. Daniel Leet surveyed the area in 1785.

-In 1787 Isaac Melcher (Melchoir) of Philadelphia acquired Logstown and laid out plans for the town of Montmorin. This never materialized.

-In Fall 1792, Major General Anthony Wayne came to this area which he named Legionville. In the Winter and Spring of 1792-1793, he trained a unit of the U.S. Army. This was under the request of President Washington to command an army against the Indians in the Northwest Territory.

Father George Rapp, leader of the Harmony Society, purchased 3000 acres of the land for the third and final home of the Society which he called Economy. In 1827 Economy Township in which the Harmonist land was included, was formed out of New Sewickley Township. In 1851 Harmony Township, consisting of mostly Harmonist land, was formed from Economy. In 1905 Harmony Village was not included in Harmony Township when Ambridge was incorporated from Harmony Township.

Levinson Steel and Babcock and Wilcox were major employers in the township.