This township was erected by a decree of court March 9, 1869. At that time Ohio township bordered upon the Ohio river a distance of nine miles, extending five miles inland, and its voting population was estimated at four hundred. At the September term, 1868, Moses Chess, Thomas M. Shaw and T. H. Nevin were constituted a commission to take the matter of its division into consideration, and the proceedings thus begun were concluded at the March term in the following year. Two voting precincts had previously been established in Ohio, and their boundary, a line running south sixty-five degrees east eighteen hundred and seven perches was made the northern limit of Kilbuck.

There were several Indian chiefs of this name. One of them received a liberal educatioa at Princeton College. An earlier member of the family, otherwise known as William Henry, is probably the personage honored in having the name attached to Kilbuck run and the township. While a resident of Washington county, Ohio, in 1803, he sold an island in the Ohio river, opposite "the Point," John Heckewelder, the Indian antiquary and missionary, being among the witnesses to the deed.

Of old families resident in what is now Kilbuck township the names are remembered of William Dickson, who came in 1796, and was probably the first settler. His sons were John, Joseph and David. William and David Courtney settled here in 1803. The sons of William were Thomas, Dickson and John. John Cheney settled near Emsworth prior to 1802, and built there the first mill in the township. His successor was John Wilkin. William and Barnard Jackman were early settlers. William had sons Andrew, John, William and Thomas. John Taylor was also an early resident, and his sons were James, John, David, Alexander and Wilson. Hugh Duff, James Duff, Harvey and Bruce Backhouse and John Moore were also early citizens.

The Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago railroad passes through the township, with stations at Laurel, Emsworth, Clifton and Dixmont. The line of this road and of Beaver road is a continuous succession of villages and fine residences. Emsworth, at the mouth of Lowrie’s run, was first known as Courtneyville, from David and William Courtney, who settled in the vicinity in 1803. The first settler, however, was John Cheney, by whom the first mill was built. The town has grown rapidly within the last few years.

The Presbyterian Church, of which Rev. Aaron Williams was the first pastor, was organized in 1860. The United Presbyterian Church was organized November, 1869. Rev. D. R. Imbrie became pastor in 1869, D. M. Thorn in 1873, J. H. Veazey in 1877, D. R. Imbrie in 1884.

Courtneyville postoffice existed from March, 1852, to March, 1860. John W. Moore was appointed postmaster March, 1852; William Courtney, July, 1852; James Gilliland, June, 1858. Emsworth was established April, 1872, with John Shannon, postmaster.

Clifton occupies an elevated situation eight miles from the city by rail. Its growth has occurred entirely within recent years. An electric railway gives easy access to the railroad station. There is an acid manufactory on Lowrie’s run, in the rear of the town.

The Western Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane at Dixmont, in this township, is a branch of the Western Pennsylvania hospital, the history of which will be found at page 416, Part I.

Dixmont postoffice was established January 30, 1861; it was discontinued from April 14 to April 27, 1863, and has received the following appointments:
Thomas Chess, January 30, 1861; Joseph Dean, March 15, 1869; John Steele, March 24, 1874; Joseph T. Bichey, April 6, 1874; John Whitehead, January 13, 1882; Martha J. Kunkel, March 28, 1882.

The population of Kilbuck was 1,919 in 1870; in 1880, 1,432.