Named for its high altitude, Highland Township was first settled as a farming community in 1835. In 1843, Samuel Ellathorpe of Chautauqua, New York, chose the same area to settle and raise a family. However, Alexander McNaughton is credited with the title, "first settler in Highland Township." In 1886 natural gas and petroleum were discovered in large quantities, resulting in a population growth.
First post office was established in Dec 1853 with Charles Stubbs as postmaster.
Highland Township is in the Northwest part of Elk County. To the South is Spring Creek Twp. Millstone Twp is to the Southwest with Jones Twp located to the East on the upper half of Highland Township with Ridgway Twp taking the lower half on the East. McKean County forms the Northern border and Forest County the Western border. This map shows all of Highland Township plus some of the surrounding Township areas.
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