The Turtle Creek Valley Railroad was chartered in 1886. The development of the Borough of Trafford was related to the creation of the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company in 1902 that utilized the Westinghouse Inter-Works Railway Company, which has subsequently been dismantled.
The Turtle Creek Valley Railroad was originally developed to exploit natural gas deposits in the Murrysville area, but significant development in this industry does not appear to have occurred. The Pennsylvania Railroad and Westinghouse Inter-Works Railway Company provided access to the region prior to the construction of the Turtle Creek Valley Railroad. The Turtle Creek Valley Railroad did not have a significant role in the development of mining in Westmoreland County, which had begun during the mid nineteenth century.
The railroad is not known to have been associated with any individuals of local, state, or national significance under Criterion B. Eligibility under Criterion D cannot be addressed since the property has not been subject to archaeological testing.
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