East Penn Township stands as a cornerstone of Carbon County's history, tracing its roots back to the earliest settlements in the 1750s. As pioneers crossed the Blue Mountain into the township's western reaches near the Schuylkill County border, they carved out homesteads and farms along the Lizard Creek. Initially inhabited by English-speaking families with surnames like Custer, Rhodes, Tippler, Kocher, and Washburn, the township saw a demographic shift after the Revolutionary War, with Pennsylvania German families from western Lehigh County replacing the departing English settlers. Today, East Penn Township retains its predominantly German heritage, reflecting the legacy of its early settlers. Notably, it houses the county's earliest established church, the Ben Salem Lutheran & Reformed Church, dating back to 1797, alongside the Dinkey Memorial Church, established in 1851 on land generously donated by Jacob Dinkey. These historic congregations continue to gather, with their church-side cemeteries serving as poignant reminders of the township's enduring heritage.