Erie, << EER ee >> (pop. 94,831; met. area pop. 270,876), is one of the largest cities in Pennsylvania. Erie is in northwestern Pennsylvania, on the south shore of Lake Erie. It is the state’s only lake port.
Erie is laid out in a series of squares. Perry Square, the most prominent one, includes the City Hall and a federal courthouse. Many stately mansions stand near the square. One is the main building of Gannon University. Mercyhurst University is also in Erie, as is a campus of Pennsylvania State University called Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. Erie’s industries include shipping, tourism, and the manufacture of locomotives and plastics. Presque Isle State Park, on a peninsula near the city, has beaches, boating areas, hiking trails, and picnic areas. The park attracts many tourists to Erie.
Erie was founded as a town in 1795. Most of the ships of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry’s fleet, which defeated the British on Lake Erie during the War of 1812, were built in Erie. A restoration of Perry’s flagship, the Niagara, is on exhibit in the city. Erie became a city in 1851. It is the county seat of Erie County.
