The first known settler in the Town of Evans arrived in 1804. He was Joel Harvey, and he built his home near the mouth of 18-Mile Creek. This waterway was a natural route for moving west, and Harvey took advantage of this, opening a tavern named the Frontier House in 1806. The first permanent settlers began arriving in 1809. Aaron Salisbury, William Cash, and James Ayer were some of the prominent settlers whose families arrived at this time.

Evans was originally a part of the Town of Eden, but in March of 1821 the Legislature of New York State proposed and passed an act "erecting" the Town of Evans. The Town was named for David ElIicott Evans. David Evans was one of three senators representing Western New York at this time. He was also a clerk and a land agent with the Holland Land Company, and he was admired by the settlers for his friendliness and fairness in business dealings.

In the early years the center of activity was the area known as Evans Center The first Town Hall, the first mills and stores were located here. Other settlements grew in parts of the town known as North Evans, Pontiac, East Evans (Jerusalem Corners), and Derby. The area known as Brant was annexed and formed in 1839. Later years saw the addition of communities in Lake Erie Beach and Highland.

In 1852 the Buffalo and State Line Railroad laid tracks and built a depot about a mile south of Evans Center This caused a shift of activity to the village first called Evans Station and then Angola. Much of the surrounding land was still covered with timber and the railroad shipped lumber to the growing city of Buffalo. The railroad also led to a growth in local business and the establishment of industry such as the Emblem Bicycle Company, a notable part of the town's past.

Another part of the Town's early growth was related to its location on the lake. Many of the area's wealthy families built summer homes along the shore. Deacon Joseph Bennett and other property owners began taking in "boarders", and the entire area became well known as a place to spend the summer.

Two of the Town's leading citizens were Willis H. Carrier who was born in Evans in 1876 and went on to become known as the "Father of Air Conditioning" and Pius Schwert who played professional baseball from 1914-1917 (He was a catcher for the New York Yankees) and was elected to Congress in 1938.