Until the middle or the end of the 1700s, much of the Buffalo Creek watershed was on the frontier. During this time, there were many forts, such as Fort Titzell in the watershed. In 1769, the northern side of Buffalo Creek was surveyed. In the same year, the area in the vicinity of the creek was opened to settlers. John Sierer was among the first to arrive, settling on the creek in 1769. The prominent Revolutionary War veteran Colonel John Kelly built an estate on the northern bank of Buffalo Creek. In 1780, there was an Indian attack near the mouth of the creek.