This township is bounded on the north by Turtle creek, on the west by the Monongahela river, on the south by South Versailles, and on the east by Westmoreland county. It is traversed diagonally from northwest to southeast by the Pittsburgh & Greensburg turnpike, an important route of travel before the era of railroads. Its construction was completed in 1818. The Pennsylvania railroad was opened in 1851, the Pittsburgh & Connellsville in 1857, and the Pittsburgh, McKeesport & Youghiogheny in 1883. Village growth, however, received its early impetus in the development of the mineral resources of the region adjacent to the Monongahela river. Port Perry is situated at the mouth of Turtle creek, and is a comparatively old town. Its appearance has not improved with age. There is a fine Methodist church, built in 1883, a schoolhouse, and a population of several hundred. A postofiice was established there in 1850. Saltsburg, midway between Port Perry and Demmler, is a straggling village of perhaps half a dozen houses. Wall, on the Pennsylvania railroad, fourteen miles from Pittsburgh, is the eastern terminus of suburban accommodation trains. The first postmaster, James Dempsey, was appointed February 19, 1885. There are also stations on this road at Turtle Creek, Wilmerding and Moss Side. The village of Turtle Creek is in Patton township. At Wilmerding, near Turtle Creek, very extensive works for the manufacture of the Westinghouse air-brake are in process of erection. When these are completed and placed in operation, a thrifty manufacturing village, with its necessary adjuncts, will come into existence there. Moss Side became a postoffice under the name of Mossbank February 11, 1884, and William M. Jeffrey is postmaster. The main line of the Pennsylvania road is connected with the Monongahela division by a bridge across the river, the approaches on the eastern side passing over the town of Port Perry from the mouth of a tunnel, and following Turtle creek to the station of that name. There is an old Methodist church in the extreme eastern part of the township, on the turnpike, commonly referred to as "Miller’s church." The population in 1870 was 2,461; in 1880, 3,051.