Erie

Erie stands on the southern shore of the lake that shares its name, beside a sheltered bay formed by the long sandy peninsula of Presque Isle. The Erie people lived in the region before wars in the mid-seventeenth century scattered their communities. The harbour later drew French traders and soldiers, who could bring boats into the bay before taking the route inland toward the Allegheny and Ohio rivers.

In 1753 the French built Fort Presque Isle as part of their chain of posts in the Ohio country. They abandoned it during the war with Britain, and the British occupied the site. After the American Revolution, Pennsylvania acquired the Erie Triangle, giving it access to the lake; the town of Erie was laid out in 1795. During the War of 1812 its protected harbour became a shipyard for an American squadron. Oliver Hazard Perry's vessels sailed from Erie and defeated the British fleet on the lake in 1813.