Simon Girty: Friend or Foe

Girty with his brother James and George struck terror into the hearts of the U.S. settlers in the Ohio Valley and Kentucky from 1778 to 1815. Girty’s island in the Maumee River was the site of a City trading post and an alleged hangout. Simon was a trusted friend to the Native Americans and a valuable translator for the British but a traitor to the Americans. Decide for yourself. Was Simon Girty friend or foe?

Dave Westrick is the author of “The Battle of Fallen Timbers, A Change of Worlds.” He fell in love with Ohio history growing up on a farm in Northwest Ohio. He graduated from Ohio University with a degree in journalism. After a career in journalism and communication, he turned his attention to research, specializing in the early frontier era.  He has written and lectured extensively on the Battle of Fallen Timbers. Dave serves on the boards of several history groups including the Maumee Valley Historical Society and is a former president of the Fallen Timbers Battlefield Preservation Committee.  He lives with his wife Nanci in Perrysburg, Ohio.