Turtle Creek (Pennsylvania)
Encyclopedia
Turtle Creek is a 21.1 miles (34 km) tributary
of the Monongahela River
in Allegheny
and Westmoreland
counties in the U.S. state
of Pennsylvania
. At its juncture with the Monongahela is Braddock, Pennsylvania
, where the Battle of the Monongahela
("Braddock's Defeat") was fought in 1755. In the mid-19th century, the Pennsylvania Railroad
laid tracks along the stream as part of its Main Line
from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh.
. The stream flows west and enters the Monongahela River at North Versailles Township.
. Turtle Creek was named by George Washington
during his travels to the Pittsburgh area during the French and Indian War
. He noted in his journal of his travels a stream with a large number of turtle
s basking, which is the present-day Turtle Creek. Turtle Creek no longer has any turtles living in it, although cleanup efforts are underway. The coal mines in Export, Pennsylvania
, had runoff from their spoil banks flow directly into Turtle Creek, thus making it too acid
ic to support life. Current cleanup methods include dumping large amounts of lime chips, in an effort to neutralize the pH level of the water, making it hospitable for aquatic life again.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Monongahela River
Monongahela River
The Monongahela River is a river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States...
in Allegheny
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Allegheny County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,223,348; making it the second most populous county in Pennsylvania, following Philadelphia County. The county seat is Pittsburgh...
and Westmoreland
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 369,993 people, 149,813 households, and 104,569 families residing in the county. The population density was 361 people per square mile . There were 161,058 housing units at an average density of 157 per square mile...
counties in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. At its juncture with the Monongahela is Braddock, Pennsylvania
Braddock, Pennsylvania
Braddock is a borough located in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 10 miles upstream from the mouth of the Monongahela River. The population was 2,159 at the 2010 census...
, where the Battle of the Monongahela
Battle of the Monongahela
The Battle of the Monongahela, also known as the Battle of the Wilderness, took place on 9 July 1755, at the beginning of the French and Indian War, at Braddock's Field in what is now Braddock, Pennsylvania, east of Pittsburgh...
("Braddock's Defeat") was fought in 1755. In the mid-19th century, the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
laid tracks along the stream as part of its Main Line
Main Line (Pennsylvania Railroad)
The Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad was a rail line in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, connecting Philadelphia with Pittsburgh via Harrisburg...
from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh.
Course
The headwaters of Turtle Creek are in DelmontDelmont, Pennsylvania
Delmont is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,497 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Delmont is located at ....
. The stream flows west and enters the Monongahela River at North Versailles Township.
History
In 1742 John Fraser built a cabin along the creek. He may have been the first Anglo-American settler west of the Allegheny MountainsAllegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
. Turtle Creek was named by George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
during his travels to the Pittsburgh area during the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
. He noted in his journal of his travels a stream with a large number of turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
s basking, which is the present-day Turtle Creek. Turtle Creek no longer has any turtles living in it, although cleanup efforts are underway. The coal mines in Export, Pennsylvania
Export, Pennsylvania
Export is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States, surrounded entirely by the Municipality of Murrysville. The population was 895 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Export is located at ....
, had runoff from their spoil banks flow directly into Turtle Creek, thus making it too acid
Acid
An acid is a substance which reacts with a base. Commonly, acids can be identified as tasting sour, reacting with metals such as calcium, and bases like sodium carbonate. Aqueous acids have a pH of less than 7, where an acid of lower pH is typically stronger, and turn blue litmus paper red...
ic to support life. Current cleanup methods include dumping large amounts of lime chips, in an effort to neutralize the pH level of the water, making it hospitable for aquatic life again.