Vanport Township did not “officially” come into existence until 1970. Prior to then, the area was known as Borough Township. Borough Township had been established in 1804 when it was laid out in size and boundaries to be identical to its neighbor, the Borough of Beaver.
The name Vanport had been used unofficially since the earliest days of the area; an ode to former United States President Martin Van Buren.
Fun Facts about Vanport:
-Most of the land of Vanport was once known as “The Academy Lands” in the original survey.
-Vanport was once home to several pottery factories and brickyards.
-During World War II, Curtiss-Wright brought its huge airplane propeller plant to Vanport. Van Buren Homes and Tamaqui Village were built to house the plant workers.
-The advent of the Beaver Valley Expressway and the Vanport Bridge over the Ohio River changed Vanport greatly in the 1960’s offering residents and businesses easy access to highway transportation.
-Vanport joins Beaver, Bridgewater and Brighton Township in the Beaver Area School District.