Erie is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Neosho County,

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

, United States, and situated in the valley of the

Neosho River The Neosho River is a tributary of the Arkansas River in eastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma in the United States. Its tributaries also drain portions of Missouri and Arkansas. The river is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National ...

, approximately one mile northeast of the river. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,047.

History

A settlement named "Erie", later referred to as "Old Erie" and "Beantown USA", was

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Survey System, Public Lands Surveys to ...

ted northwest of the present townsite, while another community, known as Crawfordsville, was started two miles northeast of the current site. In 1866, the proprietors of these two towns made a compromise to abandon the towns and combine with the settlement at the present Erie site. Four men gave 40 acres each, that butted together, out of their 160-acre shares, to create the city plat of Erie. These men were: David Bray, Luther Puckett, John Himmelwright and Peter Walter. In November of that year the Erie Town Company was formed. Each member of this company donated forty acres of land in the center of Section 32, Township 28, Range 20 east. Each member was to buy city plots and improve them. Erie's first fire company was established in November 1866; its

charter member A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the reci ...

s were those men who had donated the land on which the community was built. The first log home in Erie was built in 1866, while the first businesses were built in the following year. By 1883, the city had two general stores, two blacksmith shops, one drug store, two hotels, one newspaper office, two churches, and a population of about 300. Erie was incorporated on December 25, 1869. On December 30, the trustees met and declared Erie to be a city of the 3rd class. In 1872, Erie was designated the

of Neosho County, defeating "Osage Mission" (later renamed Saint Paul) in a contentious election. After a lawsuit reached the

Kansas Supreme Court The Kansas Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in the U.S. state of Kansas. Composed of seven justices, led by Chief Justice Marla Luckert, the court supervises the legal profession, administers the judicial branch, and serves as t ...

, Erie retained the position of county seat.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Erie has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 1,047 people, 418 households, and 284 families in Erie. The population density was 825.7 per square mile (318.8/km). There were 482 housing units at an average density of 380.1 per square mile (146.8/km). The racial makeup was 89.49% (937)

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

European American European Americans are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes both people who descend from the first European settlers in the area of the present-day United States and people who descend from more recent European arrivals. Since th ...

(87.87%

non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

), 0.57% (6)

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

, 0.48% (5) Native American or

Alaska Native Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...

, 0.96% (10) Asian, 0.0% (0)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians; , , , and ) are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, Indigenous Polynesians, Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiʻi was set ...

, 1.24% (13) from other races, and 7.26% (76) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race was 4.39% (46) of the population. Of the 418 households, 27.3% had children under the age of 18; 51.2% were married couples living together; 25.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 26.8% of households consisted of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.4 and the average family size was 3.1. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 21.9% of the population. 22.6% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 101.0 males. The 2016-2020 5-year

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimates show that the median household income was $46,339 (with a margin of error of +/- $9,924) and the median family income was $57,917 (+/- $8,418). Males had a median income of $38,750 (+/- $12,599) versus $19,817 (+/- $2,776) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $28,867 (+/- $3,906). Approximately, 9.4% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 24.6% of those under the age of 18 and 4.7% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 1,150 people, 463 households, and 312 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 540 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.4%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.3%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 1.1% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 1.3% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 5.6% of the population. There were 463 households, of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.6% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.89. The median age in the city was 41.5 years. 24.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.9% were from 25 to 44; 25.5% were from 45 to 64; and 20.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.6% male and 50.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,211 people, 492 households, and 318 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 545 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.11%

, 0.17%

, 0.91% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.74% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.82% of the population. There were 492 households, out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were

living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.96. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,568, and the median income for a family was $39,048. Males had a median income of $27,137 versus $18,672 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $17,019. About 9.1% of families and 14.9% of the population were below the

, including 18.5% of those under age 18 and 18.7% of those age 65 or over.

Extension service

On July 1, 2010, the Neosho County Extension Service joined with the Allen County Extension Service to form th
Southwind Extension District
, headquartered in Erie. The Extension Service's mission is to help country residents with questions about their lawn and garden, crops and livestock, health and nutrition and family living. In addition the Extension Service sponsors youth development through the

4-H 4-H is a U.S.-based network of youth organizations whose mission is "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development". Its name is a reference to the occurrence of the initial letter H four times ...

program. The Extension program is jointly administered by Kansas State University Research and Extension and the joint Extension Board, with members from both Neosho and Allen Counties. The Neosho County Fair, held at the fairgrounds in Erie, is also generally held around the third week of July. This includes entries from

and FFA members and also open class entries from residents in the community. The Neosho County Fair is operated by Neosho County Extension Service and the Neosho County Fair Association, a 501(c)(5) non-profit corporation founded in 1956.

Old Soldiers and Sailors Reunion

Erie is famous for its annual Old Soldiers and Sailors Reunion held during the second full week of July, including the annual Free Bean Feed. This reunion has been conducted continuously since 1873 and is claimed to be the oldest consecutively running Old Soldiers and Sailors Reunion in the country. Salt pork and navy beans were a staple food for soldiers in the Civil War. So it was natural to serve kettles of beans during these reunions. Soon it became a tradition. Now over 1,400 pounds of beans are cooked in more than 50 iron kettles on the Courthouse lawn by the American Legion Post. Other events include the Rodeo held on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings during Reunion Week. The Old Soldiers and Sailors Reunion culminates on Friday night when Mainstreet Memories brings in Country and Western Recording Artists from Nashville each year.

Education

The community is served by Erie–Galesburg USD 101 public school district, which serves Erie, Galesburg, Stark and rural Parsons in Neosho County. On September 18, 2007 the district passed a $21.9 million bond issue. They built a new green high school in Erie which opened for classes in the Fall 2010 semester. In addition, they have rebuilt the old high school into a grade school facility and added a new gym at Galesburg Middle School. The mascot for Erie High School is the Red Devil. The mascot for Galesburg Middle School is the Timber Wolf. The demolition of the old Erie Grade and Middle School brick building began in May 2013 and lasted into July, with the Amish assisting.

References

External links

*
Erie - Directory of Public Officials

USD 101
local school district
Erie city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas County seats in Kansas Cities in Neosho County, Kansas Populated places established in 1866 1866 establishments in Kansas