Orwell Township History
The Township of Orwell is located near the northeastern corner of the County. The Township is bounded to the northeast by Warren Township, to the southeast by Pike Township, to the south by Herrick Township, to the southwest by Wysox Township, to the west by Rome Township, and to the North by Windham Township. There are several streams that run through the Township including: Beaver Creek, Johnson Creek, Trout Stream and Trout Brook. Two major thoroughfares include State Route 187, which runs north and west in the Township, and State Route 467, that runs through the Township east and west.
The Township was formerly known as Mt. Zion, dating back to 1801, until the name was officially changed in 1812. The Township's name comes from a town in Vermont. In 1796, the first settlement in the Township was by Francis Mesusan and David Russell. Clarissa Woodruff taught the first school in 1803. In 1813, the land was divided to form Warren Township, Windham Township, and Pike Township. In 1830, the last land division occurring in Orwell formed Rome Township.