Warren is in the southwest corner of the county, and the smallest in size and population.  Before the Mason & Dixon line was established, the southern part of it was supposed to belong to Lord Baltimore - or to be in Maryland. 

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The Marylanders could more rapidly follow up Cove Creek and possess themselves of the lands adapted to agriculture, than could the people from Antrim cross Little Cove Mountain and reach the same place.
     This township, at one time, was in the county of Bedford.  Mar. 29, 1798, an act of the Assembly of Pennsylvania annexed it to Franklin County, and made it a part of Montgomery Township.  The total destruction of the court-house and records make it uncertain when it was made to separate municipality and called Warren.  It is found on some old record papers that describes it by that name as early as Jan. 3, 1799, and, therefore, it is put down as certainly having undergone both the change from Bedford to this county, and also from Montgomery to a separate township, as now known.  It was named in honor of Gen. Warren, who was killed at the battle of Bunker Hill in June 1776.  For years it was known as the "Little Cove district" from the mountain that is its east boundary.  There is no town in it.

EARLIEST LAND ENTRIES.

     The earliest land entries to be found in it were in 1755.  This may be accounted for by the fact of the heated contention that was about that time progressing between the proprietaries as to the division line.  There is no doubt but there were settlers - most probably "squatters" - who sought the disputed boundaries in order to escape paying tribute to either province, sometime before the records show land entries being made.
     A list of the earliest land entries is as follows:
     Enoch Williams, Mar. 18, 1755.  Neighbors:  William Harrod and James Balla.
     David Brown, Sept. 28, 1767.  Neighbors: Widow Evans, Joseph Moore, Leonard Bevans, Daniel Anderson.  (This land was on the State line.)
     Lewis Davis, Dec. 4, 1766.  Neighbors: William Smith, Malcolm McFall, Evan Shilley.
     David Huston, April 4, 1763.  Neighbors: John Andrew, Thomas Huston.
     John Martin, Feb. 10, 1768.
     Hugh Martin, June 15, 1767.
     James McClellan, Feb. 7, 1767.  Neighbor: Jacob Alexander.
     Samuel Owen, Mar. 23, 1767.  Neighbor: Enoch Williams.
     Evan Phillips, Oct. 15, 1767.  Neighbors: Enoch Williams, Beneiah Dunn.
     William Smith, Apr. 4, 1763. ("barrens and hills on all sides").
     Rees Shelby, June 2, 1759.  Neighbors:  Thomas Johns, Philip Davis.

EARLY SETTLERS.

     It is supposed the first settlers, Evan Phillips and Beneiah Dunn, came about 1761.  The following is full of interest, as about the oldest document extant that refers to the early settlers of what is now Warren Township.  The amount of tax opposite each name is omitted. otherwise it is verbatim:

     "A Roade tax Lade on By Benj. Williams and William Alexander for the year 1791:*

CHURCHES.

     Methodist Episcopal Church in Little Cove. - The first traveling minister of the Methodist-Episcopal Church in "Little Cove" was Rev. George Askins.  He preached his first sermon in Ford's barn (now on the farm on which the Warren Iron Works stand, and owned by Mrs. Eliz. Ferry,) in 1814.  His class was organized in July, 1816, by Rev. Lawrence, missionary.  Preaching occurred at the house of Joshua Philips, and at schoolhouses, till 1859, when the present brick structure was erected at a cost of $1,400; list of ministers:

END OF WARREN TOWNSHIP.

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