Union County, formed in 1813 from part of Northumberland County, was home to a number of Indian nations prior to the arrival of the first settlers in the mid-1700’s. In the years that followed, the ‘Buffalo Valley’ became a key battleground in the French and Indian Wars. Finally, in 1768, the new Americans purchased the land from Native Americans in a deal made at Fort Stanwix. Northumberland, and then Union Counties, were formed. In the early 1830’s, the Western Branch of the Pennsylvania Canal was built along the Susquehanna River, establishing a key part of a much needed pathway to and from the ports of New York and Philadelphia. The region’s commercial future was secured. Iron ore was mined, crops were sold, the county grew in population. In 1855, Lewisburg became the county seat. Today many of Union County’s 36,000 residents still farm the rich Buffalo Valley.