Crawford County, Pennsylvania

Part I: Directory
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WAYNE TOWNSHIP.

The first settlements of record, in this vicinity were made by James D. Allen and Amos Wheeling, of Ireland, in 1819, when the place was literally a howling wilderness. The years that followed brought Francis McDaniels, from Lancaster county, William Record and James Ferry. Jacob Ruse came from Philadelphia, and located at the site of Deckard's P. O. The township was formed in 1811, and as originally organized contains 2066 acres of good arable soil. The shape of the township is that of a right angle triangle, the hypothenuse being denticulated after the manner of a saw. It is well watered by French Creek, Sugar Creek, and Deckard's run. Sugar Lake, a small body of water in the Northern part, furnishes fine fishing for the inhabitants, who numbered in 1870, 1,464, of whom only 105 were foreigners. The churches of the township are the Evangelical reformed Church, the Church of United Brethren, the Freewill Baptist, at Deckard's, and Zion's Church (Dutch Reformed,) at Wayne Centre. There are twelve schools, with an average attendance of 390 pupils, conducted at an annual cost of about $2,000. The only Post office within the township limits is Deckard's.