Erie, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia : E : ER : ERI : Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city in Erie County, Pennsylvania, on the coast of Lake Erie. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 103,717. It is the county seat of Erie County[Geographic references#6GR6].
Erie is the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania, behind, respectively, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Allentown. Erie lost its status as the state's third-largest city to Allentown after the 2000 census, likely because Allentown is located in the fast-growing Lehigh Valley area.
Erie is the home of the [US Brig Niagara]. This wooden brig is a replica of the flagship once commanded by Oliver Hazard Perry in the 1812 Battle of Lake Erie. Due to the Niagara's presence, Erie's nickname is "The Flagship City." Perry's report to General Harrison of victory in the Battle of Lake Erie, "We have met the enemy and they are ours..." has become a classic quote from American history. The flagship Niagara is usually docked at the [Erie Maritime Museum] in Erie, and was even featured on a Pennsylvania [License Plate].
Erie was the hometown of The Oneders (pronounced "Wonders"), in the Tom Hanks film That Thing You Do.
Erie is named after the adjacent lake, which is named after the Erie tribe of Native Americans who lived along its southern shore before European contact. Erie's was also called the Gem City because of the sparkling lake.
History
Erie was first settled by the French, who built Fort Presque Isle in 1753, as part of their effort to garrison New France against the encroaching English. Presque Isle means "almost an island" in French. The fort was surrendered to the British, along with the rest of New France, at the end of the Seven Years' War in 1763.The City of Erie was part of the Erie Triangle that was claimed by the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut (as part of its Western Reserve), and Massachusetts. It officially became part of Pennsylvania in 1792, after all four states renounced their claims and the federal government sold the area to Pennsylvania. The city was founded in 1795.
During the War of 1812, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry built his fleet that successfully fought the British in the historic Battle of Lake Erie.
Site of the 1853 Railroad Gauge War
The city of Erie was the site where two different sets of gauges (width between tracks) met. The different gauges became a huge problem for western expansion because of the delays caused by the need to unload, and then reload trains. The delays subsequently created many jobs in Erie which became endangered when a national standardized gauge was proposed. The citizens of Erie, led by the mayor, set fire to bridges, ripped up track, and in general did everything imaginable to delay the inevitable standardization.
Culture and art
Erie is home to a number of professional and amateur performing-arts groups. Most significant is the [Erie Philharmonic Orchestra,] in continuous existence since 1913 (with the exception of an interregnum during World War II). This group of professional musicians also has a full chorus and a Junior Philharmonic division which actively tours the area.The [Lake Erie Ballet] is a professional ballet company which puts on a number of performances of well-known ballets throughout the year.
The [Erie Civic Music Association] attracts, sponsors, and books performances by professional musicians, singers, entertainers, and ensembles from the world over.
Downtown Erie's historic and ornate [Warner Theater] hosts performances by all three groups. Renovated in the 1980s, the Warner serves as the hub of [Erie's Civic Center].
The [Erie Art Museum] is Erie's premier art gallery, located in a former U.S. Customs House on lower State Street near the bay front. Its collection has a particular emphasis on folk arts and modern styles. It also hosts a popular blues and jazz concert series.
Along West 6th St. is Millionaire's Row. There stands a collection of 19th century Victorian houses/mansions. The oldest lighthouse on all of the Great Lakes stands at the foot of Lighthouse Street in the city. The lighthouse was built in 1818 and replaced in 1867.
The Bicentennial Tower, located on the Bayfront at the foot of State Street, was built in 1995 to commemorate the city's 200th year. It stands 187ft.
Transportation
Erie is well-situated on major transportation lines, leading in part to its relative health as a light-to-medium industrial center in the face of dramatic declines in the Great Lakes states.Three interstate highways join in or near the city: Interstate 90 (Boston to Seattle); Interstate 79, which begins in Erie and ends in Charleston, West Virginia; and Interstate 86 (east), the "Southern Tier Expressway," which begins in Erie and runs along the southern half of New York State to Binghamton and beyond. Also running through or near the city are the arterial roads U.S. Highway 20, U.S. Highway 19 (also known as Peach Street), and U.S. Highway 6N.
The former "Water Level Route" of the New York Central Railroad (now the CSX mainline) travels directly through Erie. This is a major mainline for the railroad and sees scores of trains a day. The mainline of the Norfolk Southern Railroad at one time ran directly down the middle of 19th Street in the city. The 19th Street tracks were recently removed. The 19th Street rail traffic is now routed onto the aforementioned transcontinental mainline.
An Amtrak train calls on the city twice daily (actually, in the middle of the night) at Union Station in downtown Erie: the Lake Shore Limited, running between New York, Boston, and Chicago. Although there has been much discussion in recent years in favor of adding daylight trains along the southern shore of Lake Erie to link Buffalo with Cleveland, and beyond, in light of Amtrak's perpetual budget woes, this will likely not take place in the near future.
Erie is within a two hour drive of Buffalo-Niagara, Cleveland-Hopkins and Pittsburgh International Airports. The Erie International Airport (ERI) is a medium sized airport that is served by four major airlines: Continental (via Cleveland), Delta (via Cincinnati and new service to Atlanta), Northwest (via Detroit), and US Airways (via Pittsburgh or Philadelphia [former service to charlotte]). Bargains can be had and the airport itself is a breeze to navigate, get in and out of, and also has a full complement of car rental agencies on-site. Parking is easy, but it is also fairly pricey. (Erie's airport is not large enough to justify a competitive parking market like most larger airports have - park on-site, get a friend to drive, or take a cab/bus.) Erie International Airport (IATA: ERI; IACO: KERI), located 5 miles southwest of the city, hosts general aviation, charter, and scheduled airline service. Airlines currently serving Erie include Comair (Delta Air Lines Connection), Continental Connection, US Airways and Northwest Airlines. The Erie airport has recently been recognized by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation as the fastest-growing airport in the state.
Greyhound Lines runs regular scheduled bus service to and from Erie from many hubs, including Pittsburgh, Chicago, and New York City.
A new bus terminal opened in the spring of 2006, located in the heart of the Port of Erie.
The Port of Erie is an under-utilized facility located within Presque Isle Bay, a fine natural harbor. Currently, there is very little commercial shipping activity through the Port, save sand and gravel and miscellaneous coal shipments.
The EMTA (Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority) bus system runs seven days a week in the city.
Geography
Erie is located at (42.114507, -80.076213)[Geographic references#1GR1].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 72.5 km² (28.0 mi²). 56.9 km² (22.0 mi²) of it is land and 15.6 km² (6.0 mi²) of it (21.54%) is water. Erie is home to [Presque Isle State Park] (known to the locals as "The Peninsula"), a peninsula that juts out into Lake Erie and boasts numerous public beaches, wetlands, and good fishing locations.
Demographics
As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] of 2000, there were 103,717 people, 40,938 households, and 24,480 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,823.6/km² (4,722.9/mi²). There were 44,971 housing units at an average density of 790.7/km² (2,047.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 80.56% White, 14.20% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.75% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.92% from other races, and 2.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.41% of the population.Erie has long been declining in population due to the departure of many businesses and factories. Recently however, due to large revitalization projects and other factors, Erie is expected to have gained people by 2010. Erie has become a popular home because of the beautiful beaches, revitalized downtown, and a suburban feel, even though Erie's population is over 100,000.
There were 40,938 households out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.2% were married couples living together, 16.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,387, and the median income for a family was $36,446. Males had a median income of $30,714 versus $21,828 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,972. About 13.8% of families and 18.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.0% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.
Recent Developments
Recently, the Erie Downtown Improvement District (DID) contracted a Philadelphia-based company to set up a "master plan" for the city's downtown. Their plan includes building several mid-rise as well as a high-rise buildings to be used for housing; continuing the process to beautify the city's booming Bayfront by continuing to build their convention center, continue the new Sheraton Hotel, maintaining the Bayfront's beauty, and, in the future, asking GAF Materials Coroporation to relocate removing an eyesore and opening up the final parcel of land on the bayfront; the plan also calls for some high-end retail stores to be built.
Ethnicities and religion
The major ethnic groups of the City of Erie are roughly broken down into 24.4% German, 14% Irish, 14% Polish, 13% Italian, 5.8% English, 1.7% Swedish, 1.7% French, 1.4% Russian, and the remaining 24% make up the ‘other’ category. http://www.helloerie.com/Social.cfmThe Roman Catholic Church has a significant presence in Erie. The [Catholic Diocese of Erie], under Bishop Donald Trautman, is geographically the largest diocese in the state, covering some 13 counties. Erie has three Catholic high schools, Cathedral Preparatory School, [Mercyhurst Preparatory School], and Villa Maria Academy, and numerous Catholic grade schools such as [St. Luke School]; Of the high Schools, only Cathedral Prep is diocesan, whereas all of the grade schools are served by the diocese. Its cathedral church is St. Peter's Cathedral, at 230 W. 10th Street. St. Peter's steeple is the tallest structure in the city.
According to the Association of Religion Date Archives (http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/counties/42049_2000.asp) Erie county has 103,333 people who claim affiliation with the Catholic church, 59,541 people who claim affiliation with a Protestant church and 115,682 who were listed as unaffiliated. It is estimated however, that in the city of Erie, 85% of the population is Catholic.
Recently, Erie has seen a great influx of families from Kosovo and Bosnia, to the extent that the city now has a Bosnian-American Cultural Center and a Bosnian Festival. Many of these immigrants are Muslims and Orthodox Christian.
In the early 20th Century, Erie had a significant Russian immigrant community, many of whom worked in the now-closed shipbuilding plants along the bayfront. Unusually for a Great Lakes city, a substantial number of these Russian immigrants were Old Believers. Even today, the gold-domed [Church of the Nativity], on the bayfront near the former heart of the Russian community, is an Old Believer church. [Bishop Daniel of Erie], of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, is based in [Erie and is the Vicar President of the Synod of Bishops for the Old Believers].
Erie has a vibrant Jewish community that is over one hundred fifty years old. [Temple Anshe Hesed], a member of the Union for Reform Judaism, is served by its spiritual leader, Rabbi John L. Bush.
Economy
As of 2004, the city's largest single employer is the locomotive builder GE Infrastructure-Rail, formerly known as GE Transportation Systems, located in neighboring Lawrence Park Township to the east. Apart from the General Electric plant, heavy industry is rapidly on the decline. However, smaller, high-precision companies are growing in size and scope. For example, the [Lord Corporation], which specializes in shock- and vibration-damping products, has a plant in Erie.The plastics industry is also a significant employer, although most of these companies are small to medium-sized. Over 10% of the nation's plastics are manufactured or finished in Erie-based plastics plants. These plants are supported by many locally-owned CNC machine tool job shops.
Erie's unemployment rate in the year 2000 is estimated to be 8.1%
Sports
- Erie Freeze, (American Indoor Football League)
- Erie Illusion, (National Women's Football Association)
- Erie Otters, (Ontario Hockey League)
- Erie SeaWolves, (Eastern League)
Colleges and universities
- Allegheny College
- Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
- Gannon University
- [Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM)]
- Mercyhurst College
- Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
Media
Erie is home to three major network affiliates, one major daily newspaper and several radio stations.
- Television Stations - Erie's Designated Market Area, as defined by the Nielsen Media Research, is 142.
- * WICU 12 - NBC
- * WJET 24 - ABC
- * WSEE 35 - CBS
- * WQLN 54 - PBS
- * WFXP 66 - Fox
- * WBEP - The WB - available on cable only
- * The CW - to be announced
- FM Radio Stations
- * 88.1 WERF - religious
- * 88.5 WMCE - classical/ethnic
- * 88.5 WTMY - religious (Youngsville, Pa)
- * 88.9 WFSE - Edinboro University - alternative/rock - 89X
- * 90.5 WERG - Gannon University - college/alternative/mix - 90.5 WERG
- * 90.3 WARC - Allegheny College - Meadville, Pa - alternative
- * 91.3 WQLN - PBS - classical/jazz
- * 93.9 WUSE - country - US 93.9
- * 94.7 WFGO - oldies - Froggy 94
- * 95.9 CFPL-FM - London, Ontario - not part of Erie's market but does serve Northwestern Pa - alternative - fm96
- * 97.1 WREO - Ashtabula, Ohio - not part of Erie's market but does serve Northwestern Pa - Star 97
- * 97.9 WXTA - Country 98 WXTA
- * 98.7 W254AJ - Family Life Translator
- * 99.9 WXKC - adult contemporary - Classy 100
- * 100.9 WRKT - classic rock - Rocket 101
- * 102.3 WQHZ - classic hits - Z 102.3
- * 103.7 WRTS - chr/Top 40 - Star 104 - has coverage in two countries, three states and seventeen counties
- * 106.3 WCTL - contemporary Christian
- AM Radio Stations
- * 1260 WRIE - nostalgic
- * 1330 WFNN - sports - The Fan
- * 1400 WJET - news/talk
- * 1450 WPSE - Penn State Behrend - business news/sports - Your Money Station
- Newspaper
- * Erie Times-News
Recent major political events
The most recent significant political battle in the city was the mayor's race in the 2005 Democratic municipal primary, held May 17. Six candidates vied for the nomination, which was eventually won by first-term City Councilman Joe Sinnott with 5,856 votes, 752 more than runner-up Barry Grossman, a local businessman.
Former Mayor Rick Filippi came in a distant fourth, becoming Erie's first incumbent mayor in 40 years to lose a re-election bid. Filippi was dogged by public-corruption charges that the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office filed against the mayor and two of his associates. State prosecutors claimed that in 2003, the trio used insider information from the Mayor's Office to buy four properties near the now-defunct International Paper plant at the same time that a gaming company was considering buying the site and using it for a horse-racing track and slots casino. The charges against Filippi were bound over for trial in the Erie County Court of Common Pleas less than a week after his defeat in the primary. The trial was eventually moved to Washington County, Pennsylvania, where on March 25, 2006, Filippi and two co-defendants were tried and acquitted of public corruption charges. The jury found Filippi, Rolf Patberg and Eric Purchase not guilty on all counts.
Filippi suffered further embarrassment when the local political smear Web site [Expose Erie Politicians], which popped up a few weeks before the 2005 Democratic municipal primary, [was linked to Erie City Solicitor Paul F. Curry], whom Filippi appointed. The Web site threw mud at Filippi's political opponents, and was set up on a Web server in Singapore using false domain-name whois information. In the end, the site was [shut down for fraud] by the Germany-based domain-name registrar. Curry and Filippi refused to talk to any local news reporters about it after that.
The Republican nomination went to Red Cross official Tim Zarnik, who defeated retired police officer Jack Anderson by a margin of 2,688 to 1,840. But on July 8, less than two months after winning the GOP primary, Zarnick announced he was dropping out of the race since he felt he could not win in a such a heavily Democratic town. On July 21, the Erie County Republican Party leadership chose Anderson as the new mayoral candidate. In a surprise twist, the party also put Zarnick back on the ballot, this time as an Erie County Council candidate. Zarnik and Anderson both lost their respective races in the general election.
It was also found, in early 2006, the Filippi and his wife owe more than $14,000 in overdue federal income taxes from the 2004 tax year.
Famous Erieites
- Bruce Baumgartner: world champion freestyle heavyweight wrestler, winner of 13 World and Olympic medals (Edinboro)
- Fred Biletnikoff: pro football wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders (retired), after whom the Fred Biletnikoff Award is named
- Billy Blanks: exercise guru, inventor of Taebo
- Marc Blucas: television and movie actor, best known as Riley Finn on Buffy the Vampire Slayer(Girard, Pennsylvania)
- Brother's Keeper: a hardcore punk band
- Marc Brown: author of the Arthur series of children's books
- Harry Thacker Burleigh: classical composer
- Ann B. Davis: actress known for her role as "Alice" on the hit TV show The Brady Bunch
- Eric Hicks: pro football player with the Kansas City Chiefs
- Caryn Kadavy: professional ice skater.
- Patrick Monahan: Grammy Award winning musician (lead singer of Train)
- Tom Ridge: first Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security, former Governor of Pennsylvania, longtime U.S. Congressman
- Bob Sanders: pro football player and 2006 Pro Bowler, Indianapolis Colts Safety
- Mark Stepnoski: pro football player, Dallas Cowboys, Houston/Tennessee Oilers center
- John Totleben: comic book inker and penciller, famous for work on Swamp Thing and co-creator of John Constantine.
- Michael J. Varhola, author of numerous books and founder of game manufacturer Skirmisher Publishing LLC
- Strong Vincent: Union colonel (and brevet brigadier general) during the American Civil War, killed in action on Little Round Top at the Battle of Gettysburg
- Chris Vrenna: Grammy-winning producer, drummer, engineer, remixer, songwriter and programmer; former drummer for Nine Inch Nails
- Paul J. Weitz: pilot on Skylab 2, the first manned Skylab mission
Points of interest
- Arboretum at Penn State Behrend
- Lake Erie Arboretum
- Erie Maritime Museum
- Presque Isle State Park
- Millcreek Mall
- Peach Street
- Waldameer Park & Water World
- The Watson/Curtze Mansion/Plantarium
External links
- [City of Erie] - Official Site
- [Erie Area Convention & Visitors Bureau]
- [Community Access Television] - Erie's Cable Access Programming
- [Erie Civic Music Association]
- [Erie County Historical Society]
- [Erie Craiglist]
- [Everything Erie wiki] - Local wiki site
- [GoErie.com] - Erie-Times News Publishing (Newspaper)
- [Erie International Airport] - Tom Ridge Field
- [Lake Erie Speedway]
- [Louis J. Tullio Arena] - Erie Civic Center
- [Penn State Erie, The Behrend College]
- [Erie Playhouse]
- [Erie Philharmonic]
- [Presque Isle State Park]
- [Presque Isle Audubon Society - PIAS]
- [Splash Lagoon] - Indoor Water Park Resort
- [Waldameer Park & Water World] - Amusement & Water Park Complex
- [Warner Theatre] - Home of the Erie Philharmonic
- [Erie Yacht Club] - Oldest Private Marina in Erie
- [Erie Zoo & Botanical Gardens]
| Municipalities and Communities of Erie County, Pennsylvania (County Seat: Erie) | |
|---|---|
| Cities | Corry | Erie |
| Boroughs | Albion | Cranesville | Edinboro | Elgin | Girard | Lake City | McKean | Mill Village | North East | Platea | Union City | Waterford | Wattsburg | Wesleyville |
| Townships | Amity Twp. | Concord Twp. | Conneaut Twp. | Elk Creek Twp. | Fairview Twp. | Franklin Twp. | Girard Twp. | Greene Twp. | Greenfield Twp. | Harborcreek Twp. | Lawrence Park | LeBoeuf Twp. | McKean Twp. | Millcreek Twp. | North East Twp. | Springfield Twp. | Summit Twp. | Union Twp. | Venango Twp. | Washington Twp. | Waterford Twp. | Wayne Twp. |
| Communities and CDPs | Avonia | Northwest Harborcreek |
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