Maps dating back to 1770 indicate that Cherry Tree, then known as "Canoe Place," was a significant location since canoe travel on the Susquehanna West Branch ended here beside a large Cherry Tree.
The Cherry Tree was a well-known landmark, and it was used as a boundary marker in two treaties between the Iroquois Indians and the Pennsylvania colonial government. The treaties opened up much of Western Pennsylvania to settlers and were signed at Fort Stanwix, New York.
In 1894, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania erected a monument on the site of the Cherry Tree in recognition of its importance.
