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Originally Ross Township was part of Pitt Township, Westmoreland County, until the creation of Allegheny County in 1788. In November 1809, Ross Township was named in honor of James Ross, an eminent attorney and judge in Pittsburgh. Except for the formation of West View Borough in 1905, Ross Township’s boundaries have remained much the same since 1847. The Venango Path, an Indian trail became the main highway used to travel north through the township. In 1849 a charter was granted to the Allegheny and Perrysville Turnpike Road Company to construct a turnpike or plank road for the Allegheny City line. What started as Perry Plank Road (now Perry Highway) extended to Wexford by 1863. In 1911 the road was covered with brick and eventually in 1929 it was paved with concrete. On January 1, 1922 Ross Township became a First Class Township. Following World War II, the population more than doubled from 12,000 in 1938 to 24,871 in 1949. McKnight road was completed as a 4 lane highway all the way from the North Side of Pittsburgh to Pine Creek in 1951. This resulted in the greatest commercial development in this part of the country. This expansion added 5 large shopping centers including Northway Mall and North Hills Village to serve an ever increasing demand for food, merchandise and services.
Links to historical articles about Ross Township:
Links to historical newspaper articles about Ross Township:
November 12, 1907 Elopers wed in Youngstown: Ross Township man marries an Allegheny girl in Ohio’s Gretna Green
March 15, 1928 Ross Township residents air merger views
October 1, 1930 Striking Pupils Back in School
Updated January 3, 2012