ERIE, city, port of entry, and county seat of Erie co., Pa., on Lake Erie, and on the Lake Shore, the Pennsylvania, the Erie, and several other railroads; 85 miles S. W. of Buffalo; 100 miles N. E. of Cleveland. Erie is on a bluff, having a grand view of the lake, is laid out with broad streets at right angles with each other, and has several large and attractive parks. It is lighted with gas and electricity, and has a bountiful supply of water from the lake. The peculiarly advantageous location of Erie has given it high rank as a ship ping and manufacturing point. It has the largest land-locked harbor on Lake Erie. The harbor has been greatly im proved. Presque Isle, lying directly in front of the city, furnishes means of ample protection; three lighthouses stand at the entrance to the harbor, and substantial wharves, where merchandise is transferred directly from vessels to cars, extend along the entire front. The principal industries are manufactures of iron, steam engines, machinery, car wheels, car-work, stoves, engines and boilers, chemicals, blast furnaces, auto mobiles, flour and grist mill products, brick, leather, organ, pump, furniture, and various kinds of woodwork factories, and petroleum refineries. The leading articles of shipment are lumber, bitu minous and semi-bituminous coal, iron ore, petroleum, and manufactured prod ucts, and these are conveyed by rail roads, steamboats, and sailing vessels that ply regularly between Erie and other ports on the great lakes. Among
the notable buildings are the City Hall, Union Depot, Government Building (in cludes Postoffice, Custom House, and other departments), State Soldiers' and Sailors' Home on Garrison Hill, Hamot Hospital, St. Vincent Hospital, Protes tant Home for the Friendless, United States Marine Hospital, and Central School. Near the city is a memorial in the form of a block house, erected by the State, in honor of Anthony Wayne. The city has excellent public schools, a public library, daily and weekly news papers, 3 National and several sav ings banks. Erie occupies the site of a French fort, called Fort de la Presque, built in 1753, was laid out as a town in 1795; had a portion incorpo rated as a borough in 1805; and the whole was given a city charter in 1851. It was the headquarters of Commodore Perry in the War of 1812; the fleet with which he defeated the British in the battle of Put-in-Bay was built and equipped here. Natural gas was dis covered in 1889. Pop. (1910) 66,525; (1920) 93,372.