A Brief History of Turtle Creek
Turtle Creek is a borough in Allegheny County. A familiar name to Pittsburgh, George Westinghouse, built a manufacturing plant near the town, which made it thrive. The town got its name from a stream that eventually flows into the Monongahela. Before the earliest settlers arrived, there was a group of Native Americans that lived there from the Turtle Clan of the Iroquois.
Facts about Turtle Creek
The ’60s group the Vogues were from Turtle Creek, as well as ’60s and ’70s era actor Ron Harper. Turtle Creek is bordered by Monroeville, Wilmerding, Wilkins Township, East Pittsburgh and North Versailles. As of the 2000 census, Turtle Creek was home to just over 6,000 people. The median age in Turtle Creek was 40 years old. Females outnumber males, 100 to 81. The Borough of Turtle Creek’s website gives information on events, police and fire contact information and information on permits and other ordinances. The Turtle Creek Historical Society is very active, posting on their Facebook page. They made it known that on July 25th, Turtle Creek celebrated its 125th anniversary. Pros to living in Turtle Creek include arts and culture, being close to downtown Pittsburgh and low cost of living—the community’s cost of living is 22 percent lower than the national average.
It’s a clear creek now, but in the 30s thru the 50s the brick yard in Traford made it yellow from the clay they used in making the bricks. Also open sewage contributed. A touch of history!!!
75 years ago I rode my bike from Penn Hills to Turtle Creek!
Thanks for featuring Turtle Creek. My great grandmother, grandmother and mother were from Turtle Creek so I have very fond memories of it.
Lol….the pictures shown in this article are of Wilmerding, East Pittsburgh and Braddock.
The first picture is of Wilmerding!
creek or crick? 🙂
I am researching the history of the formation of Turtle Creek. My family, the Beiters, came here in 1905. Can somebody direct me to this information? Thank you. Patricia Beiter Frick