Tradition has it that the Avenor people lived in a town by the name Avenor Ketukpe, a suburb of Ketu in the lower Niger area, the original home of all Ewe-speaking people. The Avenor like other Ewe groups moved from Avenor Ketukpe to Notsie due to incessant conflicts with their enemies (mostly like the Yorubas) The headman or leader of the Avenors at Ketukpe was Togbe Agbohlo whose son Anumah led the Avenors to Notsie.

On leaving Notsie, the Avenors under their leader Anumah, moved very closely with the Agus,with whom they found their first settlement at Avenor-Agu Volui near present Kpalime in the Republic of Togo. Their next settlement was at Anyirawase Awudome. Tribal frictions made them move to Fodzoku from where they later crossed the Volta to Kroboland, founding a settlement at Kpong. They became known as Avenor Krobos. This is still sung in songs and the Avenors still have descendants in Kroboland. Frequent clashes with the Akwamus made the Avenors to leave to continue their wandering. From Kroboland there was a general dispersion. One group defected to found a settlement by the Gas at a place now called Avenor close to the Police Training Depot in Accra. The larger group led by Togbui Anumah made settlement at Tefle Avenorkpo in Fieve land. Avenorkpo still stands.

The group that sojourned in Accra had to flee from Accra to look for the larger group at a time when Ofori, the King of Accra and his people also fled from the Akwamus to LittlePopo (about 1682). Quarrel over farmland and fishing zones with the Tefles made the Avenors to cross the Volta to found a settlement at Yorta, later called Detsowome near Dabala. At Yorta, a male child without one arm and an eye was born to one Ku of the chiefly (royal)family. The incident was an ill omen. Then there arose the saying “Detsagbawor” a typical Avenor word meaning, what strange thing has befallen us.