Maple Sugar
The first industry was the making of maple sugar, as sugar could be traded for other commodities. Tons of maple sugar were transported out of the area.

Lumber
Lumber businesses were the largest industry in the early years. The world’s largest wooden garment hanger factory was located in South Montrose for years and was a major employer during the peak production period. The Diaz Manufacturing continues the tradition of producing quality wooden products and continues to be a major employer.

Agriculture
Agriculture became the largest industry for many years with milk and butter being shipped to the metropolitan areas to the east and south. There were 2 major creameries located in the township: 1 just east of the Borough of Montrose and 1 in South Montrose.

Bluestone
The quarrying of bluestone was a major business for years and secondary source of income for many farmers. There are still several active quarries in the township. The quality of the areas bluestone is highly documented and has been shipped to destinations around the country, Canada, and other countries.

Ice
Fresh water ice cutting, storing and shipping was a substantial industry in the township before electricity, with ice being cut, processed and loaded on insulated railroad cars or stored in large ice houses in the days before electricity was available. Ice was processed from Post Pond, Lake Montrose, and Heart Lake with large ice houses at Lake Montrose and Heart Lake.

History notes that 45 to 50 rail cars a day were shipped during the peak harvesting time. The harvesting of ice employed several hundred people on a seasonal basis.

Major Employers
Bendix Corporation, then Allied Signal, was the large employer in the township in the 1950s through the 1960s.

Presently, the Montrose Area High School, the Endless Mountain Health System and Diaz Manufacturing are major employers.

The Natural Gas Industry has also made a huge impact in the township, which is in the Marcellus Shale Region and has become a large employer at this time.