Knox Township · Jefferson County, PA Genealogy

Names & Variants

Also appears in records under village or coal-patch names rather than “Knox Township.”

When searching, combine Knox Township or Knox Twp. with Knoxdale, Ramsaytown, Fuller, Iowa, or nearby townships (Pinecreek, Winslow, McCalmont) to capture boundary shifts and overlapping neighborhoods.

Key Timeline for Researchers

Before 1804 — Land that later became Jefferson County—and eventually Knox Township—fell under earlier counties (primarily Northumberland in 1772 and then Lycoming). Look for warrants, surveys, and tax lists there rather than under Jefferson.
1804–1853 — Area is part of Pine Creek Township, Jefferson County. Early deeds, tax lists, and court records usually file under Pine Creek rather than Knox.
1853 — Knox Township is created from Pine Creek and becomes the twenty-third township of Jefferson County, named in honor of Hon. John C. Knox, then president judge ⓘ.
Late 1800s — Development of villages and mining sites at Knoxdale, Ramsaytown, Fuller, and Iowa; a network of sawmills and farms is documented along the valleys between Sandy Lick Creek and Five Mile Run.

Strategy: if a source predates 1853 or labels a family under Pine Creek Township, check Scott and McKnight’s histories plus the 1878 atlas to confirm whether those neighborhoods later fell within Knox.

Township History

Knox Township occupies a rough wedge of country between Sandy Lick Creek on the north and east and Five Mile Run on the west, its hills cut by a “network of valleys and ravines” rising on average to about 1,750 feet above sea level ⓘ. Although the surface appears rugged, Scott notes that the farms on the broader ridges and valley floors are well cultivated and productive.

When Knox was organized in 1853, it was carved from Pine Creek Township and named for John C. Knox, president judge of the judicial district at the time. Scott outlines its boundaries as touching Pine Creek on the north, Pine Creek and Winslow on the east, McCalmont and Oliver on the south, and Rose and Oliver on the west ⓘ. For researchers, that means families can “move” on paper simply because township lines were redrawn.

The earliest phase of development emphasized lumber and small-scale farming. Scott lists several sawmills operating along Knox’s streams—such as mills associated with the O’Donnell, Stewart, Rietz & Spare, and Wingert families—before large-scale coal operations took hold ⓘ. As timber declined, the best farms, including those of the Mathews and Stewart families, came to represent the township’s agricultural backbone.

A small village at the center of the township, originally called Knoxville and later Knoxdale, grew up around crossroads, mills, and local trade. Scott notes that Knoxdale was surveyed by M. E. Steiner in 1851, with early improvements including a public house, the Albright church, a schoolhouse, a blacksmith shop, and a handful of families. A post office followed in the 1860s and the name settled as “Knoxdale” ⓘ.

Later, mining and railroad interests brought development to nearby Ramsaytown, described by McKnight as “quite a mining town” on a branch of the Shawmut Railroad, and to small localities such as Fuller and Iowa, where post offices and company operations briefly anchored communities before being absorbed into larger postal districts or disappearing from modern maps ⓘ.

Historical summary adapted from Scott (1888), McKnight (1917), and the 1878 county atlas. Refine page references as you work through the Knox Township chapters and village sketches.

Villages & Mini-Profiles

Use these short profiles with the Localities and Post Offices sections to track families through name changes, coal patches, and shifting postal designations.

Knoxdale (formerly “Knoxville”)

Platted by M. E. Steiner in 1851 and first known as Knoxville, this village sat near the center of the township. By the 1860s it included a public house, Albright church, schoolhouse, blacksmith, and about seven families. A post office established in the 1860s took the name Knoxdale, which appears in later atlases and postal guides.

Research tips: search deed and tax records for Steiner, Rhodes, Hunter, Mathews, and other names linked to the early village; check church and school sources for membership lists and teacher rosters.

Ramsaytown

Identified by McKnight as “quite a mining town” on a branch of the Shawmut Railroad, Ramsaytown developed later as coal and related industries moved into the township. The village maintained its own post office and served miners, railroad workers, and nearby farm families.

Research tips: pair Ramsaytown with Knox Township in census searches and use mine-inspector reports, accident notices, and railroad records to track occupational details.

Fuller & Iowa

Small localities such as Fuller and Iowa appear in county histories, postal lists, and the 1878 atlas but often vanish from modern maps. Fuller is associated with the Erdice post office in some listings. These settlements likely began as mill or coal-patch neighborhoods serving nearby farms and timber tracts.

Research tips: search for these names in combination with “Knox,” “Pine Creek,” and neighboring townships. Use land descriptions, creek names, and road references in deeds to pinpoint locations.

Early Settlers & Communities

Mathews families — Scott notes a Mathews burial ground dating to about 1830 and later describes the farms of R. B. Stewart and John Mathews as among the most highly improved in the township, reflecting a strong agricultural presence in the area.
Steiner family — M. E. Steiner surveyed the village of Knoxville/Knoxdale, and Dr. D. J. Steiner is mentioned as an early physician connected to the community and wider township.
Rhodes & Hunter families — early township officers include Henry Rhodes and Andrew Hunter as supervisors and school directors, placing these surnames at the center of local civic and educational development.
Early supervisors and officials — names such as Samuel Yount, John Cummings, Samuel Davidson, Israel Swineford, Patterson Hopkins, J. S. Lucas, and George S. Mathews appear in early election returns and school-board lists, providing a cluster of families to trace in tax and deed records.
Milling & lumber families — operators associated with O’Donnell’s steam mill, Stewart’s mill, Rietz & Spare, and Wingert’s mill link Knox’s early economy to lumber and sawmill operations along the streams.

Also listed villages & neighborhoods

Cemeteries (Knox Township)

Cemetery names here are compiled from township histories and locality notes. Use the county cemetery page for exact locations, alternate names, and transcription links.

Churches & Schools

Schools

Township sketches describe early district schools spread across Knox’s valleys, with a schoolhouse at or near Knoxdale among the earliest. As the population grew, additional schools served outlying neighborhoods and, later, coal and mill communities.

Look for school board minutes, teacher contracts, and pupil lists in local archives and newspaper coverage of commencement exercises and school meetings.

Church Presence

The village of Knoxdale included the Albright church early in its history, and township residents also attended denominational congregations in nearby townships and boroughs. Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, and other Protestant bodies are represented in the wider area.

Many congregations produced anniversary booklets and membership rolls that name families from Knox, especially those tied to Knoxdale and the surrounding farms.

For sacramental registers and congregational records, contact the Jefferson County Historical Society and the appropriate denominational archives (Methodist conference archive, Presbyterian historical society, etc.).

Post Offices (Knox Township)

Post offices often followed the rise and decline of small villages and coal patches. In Knox Township, watch for Knoxdale, Ramsaytown, Fuller, Iowa, and related names (including the Erdice office at Fuller) in postal guides and on envelopes. Use these dates to explain why a family’s mailing address or “home town” appears to change between censuses.

Towns, Villages & Historic Places

Many Knox communities began as small crossroads, sawmill clusters, or coal-related villages and later changed names or were absorbed into larger postal districts. Use this snapshot with historic atlases and modern maps to place your families in the landscape.

Research Links (Knox focus)

Maps & Boundaries

Use the 1878 atlas, later county maps, and modern GIS to locate Knoxdale, Ramsaytown, Fuller, and Iowa and to see how Knox’s boundaries relate to Pinecreek, Winslow, McCalmont, and Rose.

County Maps

Combine map work with the Locality Guide and township snapshots to determine which jurisdiction held your ancestor’s records at a given date.

Cemeteries by Township

Cross-check Knox Township burials across USGenWeb, Find A Grave, and FamilySearch. Pay special attention to early family plots like the Mathews burial ground and any cemeteries associated with Knoxdale.

Open Knox section

Locality Guide roundup of cemetery resources by township.

Courthouse & Local Government

Deeds, road petitions, and tax assessment lists filed under Pine Creek (pre-1853) and Knox (post-1853) track landowners, mill operators, and township officers. Probate and guardianship records can identify family relationships and migration into or out of the township.

See the Locality Guide for addresses, record start dates, and online access options.

Newspapers & Occupational Records

Newspapers from nearby boroughs report on Knoxdale and Ramsaytown residents, including school events, accidents, farm sales, and social news. Mining, railroad, and lumber records may survive in regional archives and mine inspector reports.

Use city directories and newspaper society columns from surrounding towns to locate Knox residents who appear only briefly in census indexes.