The first known inhabitants of the area now known as Palmer Township were the Lenape Native Americans in the 17th century. German Moravian settlers built on land in the Palmer area in 1740. At the time, the area was part of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, which by the mid-18th century also included land now called Northampton County and Lehigh County. Northampton County separated from Bucks County on March 11, 1752. In 1754, Forks Township, which then also consisted of what is now Palmer Township, was incorporated in 1754 with a total population of about 50 inhabitants. On May 5, 1857, Palmer Township was formed out of the land area of Forks Township south and west of the Bushkill Creek; the original population of the township was about 1,300 people. The township was named after George Palmer, the Pennsylvania Surveyor General who surveyed the original township lines. At the time that it was incorporated, the township was about and included what are now known as the boroughs of Tatamy (which became incorporated in 1893), West Easton (incorporated in 1898), Stockertown (incorporated in 1901) and Wilson (incorporated in 1920). The main activity of Palmer Township during its earliest years was providing access roads from the neighboring city Easton to surrounding communities, including Bethlehem, Freemansburg and Nazareth.