Queen Aliquippa

Little is known about Queen Aliquippa, aside from brief mentions in writings from George Washington, Conrad Weiser, and Pierre-Joseph Céloron de Blainville. From their notes, we can gather that she was a powerful woman in the Seneca tribe, who lived in Ohio Country, present-day western Pennsylvania, and founded the Native American community of Aliquippa's Town.

Aliquippa's Town was located in the Allegheny Valley, and was first identified in 1731 by Pennsylvania fur traders. The town only had four families at the time of discovery.

Though the settlers refered to her as a "queen" in their writings, she would have been better known as a clan matron in her own time, a mother of sorts to those in her tribe. Many native tribes used maternal lineage to determine the elders of the clan, and the eldest woman would have political influence over other members, such as giving the approval to go to war or make peace, and determine the fate of captives.

Queen Aliquippa's power and leadership was apparent in the men's writings. European officers wanted to stay in her good graces and bestowed gifts upon her as a token of her appreciation, however, she became offended when she felt their gifts did not accurately reflect her status.

By all reports, Queen Aliquippa was been pro-British, even though the Seneca had longstanding connections to the French. Queen Aliquippa and other Ohio Indians paid for this alliances during 1753-54. After George Washington's defeat at Fort Necessity in July 1754, she and other pro-British Indians were forced to move to Aughwick (in central Pennsylvania) where George Croghan, a Pennsylvania Indian trader and agent, had a fort and trading post. Queen Aliquippa died before the end of 1754 at Croghan's post.

The Queen Aliquippa marker was dedicated on October 26, 2003. It reads: "An influential leader of the Seneca Nation in this area and ally of the British during the time of the French & Indian War. Encamped near here when George Washington paid respects to her, 1753. Died, 1754; according to legend, buried nearby."