Simon Girty (1741-1818)

Simon Girty was born in 1741, near Harrisburg. He was the son of Mary Girty Turner and Simon Girty Sr., a Native American trader who was killed in a bond dual. He had three brothers and one half brother, John Turner Jr. All of them were captured by Seneca Indians as children. One brother, Thomas, escaped early, but Simon lived among the Senecas for many years and learned their language. He grew up under Guyasuta, a Seneca war chief who was an intermediary between the colonists and the natives.

Simon is a controversial player in history because he followed in Guyasuta's footsteps, serving as an interpreter at Fort Pitt and also accompanying Indians in raids on settlers. He later defected to the British in 1778, after the American Revolution, further securing his villainous status in the eyes of the new American nation. Girty has been vilified by many fabricated tales of murder and crime, though they were eventually disproven. He moved to Canada, died and was buried there in 1818.

The Girty/Turner family owned 150 acres of farmland that is now present day Squirrel Hill, including the land at Mary S. Brown Memorial-Ames United Methodist Church and Turner Cemetery. Simon's mother and brother are buried in the cemetery. Each year, the church hosts a History Walk in late September, which allows people to see and learn more about this history of the Girty family Squirrel Hill itself.

The Simon Girty marker was dedicated on Saturday, September 30, 2017. It reads: "Born near Harrisburg, Girty crossed cultural boundaries between native and white societies. He was captured and adopted by Seneca Indians in 1756. Upon his release, he settled here with his family. He worked as an interpreter for the British and Americans at Fort Pitt. In 1778, he defected to the British; serving as an advisor, he accompanied Indians in raids on frontier settlements. He remains controversial and is buried in Canada."

For more information about the History Walk, visit the Mary S. Brown Memorial-Ames United Methodist Church website.