This dissertation has been 64-7049 microfilmed exactly as received

SCHMIEDER, Allen Arthur, 1933- THE HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE ERIE TRIANGLE.

The State University, Ph. D ., 1963 Geography

University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, THE HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE ERIE TRIANGLE

DISSERTATION

Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio S tate U niversity

By

Allen Arthur Schmieder, B.S., M.A.

*****

The Ohio State University

1963

Approved By

visei Department of Geography "Geographie without Historie hath life and motion but at randome, and unstable. Historie without Geographie like a dead carkasse hath neither life nor motion at all."

Peter Heylyn, 1621

i i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author is deeply grateful to all who in numerous ways have

assisted in the preparation of this dissertation. To Dr. Guy-Harold

Smith who gave unstintingly of his time, I am most indebted; for it was under his direction that this study was undertaken and brought to

the final phases of completion.

I am also appreciative of the many helpful criticisms and sugges­ tio n s made by P ro fe sso r's Fred A. Carlson, Lawrence A. Hoffman and

Alfred J, Wright of the Department of Geography, Ohio State University.

Likewise, I wish to express my gratitude to Professor's Frank Ahnert

and Jeremy H. Anderson of the Department of Geography, University of

Maryland, who read early drafts of the manuscript and made valuable

suggestions for its improvement.

Many people in various positions of leadership in the Erie region were very helpful in providing advice and data. Mr, Christopher

Capotis, Director of the Erie County Planning Commission, and Mr. John

Lampe, E rie Harbormaster, were outstanding in th e ir a ssista n c e . Both

conducted field excursions for the author to places of particular

relevance to the dissertation, and together, supplied more locally published literature than all other sources combined, Mrs. C. F. Wilson,

historian of the Erie Public Museum, carefully read and criticized the preliminary outline of the dissertation and contributed greatly to the credence of its historical content.

i i i The author also wishes to express his thanks to Professor Joseph

Wiedel, University of Maryland cartographer, who helped in the prepara­ tion of some of the maps.

I am especially appreciative of the enduring patience of my wife,

Janet, who has lived with this project since its inception. She accompanied me on field trips through the Triangle area, helped in the preparation of many of the illustrations and provided a critical mind against which ideas could be sounded.

Because their numbers are many, acknowledgment is made in general to all others who contributed so generously to the development of this dissertation.

Any errors of fact or of reasoning are of course solely the responsibility of the author.

iv CONTENTS

Page PREFACE...... i i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...... i i i

TABLES...... v ii ILLUSTRATIONS...... v i i i INTRODUCTION...... 1

Chapter I . DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA...... 12 The C u ltu ra l S ettin g The P hysical S ettin g I I . PRE-PIONEER PERIOD, TO 1795 ...... 68

Introduction Sequent Occupance Prior to 1753 A Frontier land of Contested Rights, 1753-1794 I I I . PIONEER PERIOD, 1795-1828 ...... 102

S e ttin g S a lt Trade S hipbuilding and Lake Commerce P opulation In dustry Agriculture Conclusions IV. CANAL PERIOD, 1828-1860 ...... 125

S e ttin g Canal Erie Extension Canal Population Agriculture Industry Summary and Conclusions Page V. RAIIRQAD PERIOD, 1860-1910 ...... 159 S ettin g Principal Triangle Railroads The Impact of the Railroad upon the Triangle's Economy Population Agriculture Industry The Relative Decline of Erie as a Lake Port Recreation and Tourism Summary and Conclusions VI. MODERN PERIOD—AN ERA OF INDUSTRY, 1910-1963 ...... 192

S ettin g Population Agriculture Industry Port of Erie Recreation and Tourism V II. THE PROSPECT...... 236

Introduction Population Agriculture Industry Commerce Recreation and Tourism Summary APPENDIX...... 243 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 246 AUTOBIOGRAPHY...... 258

v i TABLES

Table Page

1. Meteorological Normals, Means and Extremes for Port Erie . . 50

2. Coal Tonnage Shipped into the Triangle Region on the Erie Extension Canal between 1845 and 1860 ...... 134

3. Rank of the Foreign Bom in the Erie Triangle, 1960...... 198

4. Companies Which Have Transferred All or Portions of Their Manufacturing Operations from Erie to Suburban Locations since 1950...... 224

v ii

i ILLUSTRATIONS

Figure Page

1. Regional Situation of the Erie Triangle...... 14

2. Erie Triangle, 1963 ...... 16

3. Abandoned Clay Q uarry ...... 27

4. Exposed Rock Strata along Four-Mile Creek...... 27

5. Presque Isle ...... 30

6. Shorewood Beach...... 33

7. Elk Creek Beach ...... 33

8. Rock Defended Bluffs, East of the City of Erie...... 36

9. Unconsolidated, Regolith Bluffs, West of the City of E rie ...... 36 10. Six-Mile Creek G ulf ...... 40 11. Four-Mile Creek Gulf...... 40

12. Hydrology of the Erie Triangle...... 43

13. Average Annual Precipitation...... 52

14. Number o f Days w ithout K illin g F ro s...... t 54

15. Soil Areas of the Erie Triangle...... 60

16. Native Vegetation of the Erie Triangle...... 64

17. Areal Extent of the Mound Builders in the United States .73

18. Location of Former Mounds in the Erie Triangle...... 73

19. Areal Distribution of the Eries Indians ...... 78

v i i i Figure Page 20. Historic Indian Paths of the Erie Triangle ...... 85 21. The Settlement at Presque Isle in 1753 ...... 92 22. Salinas-Pittsburgh Salt Trade Route ...... 108 23. Erie Harbor: Shipbuilding and Outfitting Sites of American * Naval Fleet. . .115 24. Extent of Primary Road Development, 1795, 1819, 1960 ...... 119 25. Regional Canals, 1860...... 131 26. Erie Harbor and Canal Basin, 1851 ...... 131 27. East Canal Basin Marina ...... 154 28. The Ruberoid Company, a Bayside Industry ...... 154 29. Regional Railroads, 1914 ...... 162 30. Relative Positions of Ports...... 187 31. Population Distribution, 1958...... 195 32. Principle Transportation Routes, 1960...... 200 33. Agricultural Regions, 1960 ...... 203 34. The Rise of Sport Fishing...... 222 35. Boat Storage Locker, Erie Lake Shore...... 222 36. Erie Industrial Park ...... 228 37. Truck Stop, Pennsylvania Interstate Route 90 . . . .228 38. Abandoned Railroad Tracks along the Bay ...... 230

39. Ships Anchored for the Winter in Presque Isle Bay. .230 40. Presque Isle Recreation Facilities, 1963...... 234

ix INTRODUCTION

Purpose

The Erie Triangle has a rich heritage which has been well recorded historically but grossly neglected geographically. Geographic literature about the area has, for the most part, been a by-product of historical writings and is quite fragmentary. The majority of the geographic works that do include a consideration of the region are Pennsylvania studies, and no more than a few paragraphs are devoted to the northwestern part of the state in any one of them. Emphasis is placed upon the Pittsburgh industrial complex and upon the physical character of the coal and oil- bearing sections of the rather than upon the Erie Lake Plain which is unlike any other part of Pennsylvania and, further, is naturally, culturally and economically more closely aligned with out-of-state places. This shallow geographic coverage of the Triangle is unfortunate for several reasons: the region played an important role in the early history of the lower lakes area and there was a strong geographic basis for many of its important activities of the time; it represents an ideal framework for studies in physical geography in that it overlaps two major geomorphic provinces and, because of a leeward lakeside location, possesses considerable climatic variety; and finally the city of Erie, which contains over half of the region1s population, is presently beset with serious economic problems and a better under­ standing of its total geographic situation might contribute toward their solution. Recognizing these factors, the purpose of this dissertation is threefold: (l)to provide a detailed physical geography of the Triangle area, (2)to reconstruct its historical geography, and (3)to outline its contemporary regional geography.

Organization and Approach

In order to provide perspective in the examination of past devel­ opments, the treatise is begun with a general r§sum& of the Triangle's modern cultural geography. Next, the stage is set with a description of the region's physical qualities, which, through the years, played a major and ever-changing role in the human activities which revolved around them. This unit is the longest in the dissertation because a thorough knowledge of the physical foundation of the area was needed to insure a more accurate description and analysis of the eight different geographic landscapes recognized in the study.1

In Chapters II through V, a series of past cultural geographic landscapes is delimited, reconstructed and analyzed sequentially. They represent cross-sections of the Triangle as it existed during the fol­ lowing discrete periods: Pre-Pioneer, to 1795; Pioneer, 1795-1828;

Canal, 1828-1860; and Railroad, 1860-1910. The formats of the chapters treating these eras are kept as uniform as possible to facilitate

^■Although the dissertation is subdivided into five historical periods, eight different landscapes are described. Four of these are included within the chapter covering the Pre-Pioneer era and reasons for their collective treatment are given in the introduction to that sectio n . 3 comparisons and increase the credibility of conclusions. Subjects generally covered in each chapter are: population, commerce, agricul­ ture, industry, and recreation. Because these facets of the Triangle's geography varied in importance, both within a single period and from one period to the next, the emphasis placed upon them also varies.

The approach used in presenting these data for each of the sepa­ rate periods approximates the following: (l)the extra-regional setting is described; (2)an evaluation is made of some of the forces which contributed to the transformation of the Triangle from the past stage to the one being considered; (3)the cultural geography of the region is reconstructed and critically examined; and (4)the principal changes which occurred between stages are delineated and those phenomena which either affected or eventually became a part of the present regional composition of the area are summarized.

Chapter VI presents the regional geography of the area as it existed in 1960 and serves two primary purposes: it completes the

Triangle's historical geographical continuum and it demonstrates the impact of the past upon the 1960 landscape. The chapter is not as detailed as it might be since an area as populous and economically di­ versified as the present Triangle, may provide material for several dissertations dealing only with the present cultural geography. It is therefore completed only insofar as is needed to put relics in the 1960 landscape in proper perspective and, more important, to allow compari­ sons with antecedent landscapes.

The final chapter, number VII, is a brief discussion of the Erie region's economic prospect for the next several decades. The Historical Geographical Method

Although historical geographers have studied a great variety of problems, their work has generally followed one of four basic concepts:

(l)An area's past geography is important only in so far as it relates to the present. Harlan H. Barrows expressed this view thus: f 'ilstorical geography, the geography of the past, helps to show the significance of past geographic conditions in the interpretation of present geogra­ phic conditions. It provides the key to many environmental relationships that have persisted after the occasion for them has passed. It intro­ duces, so to speak, the 'third dimension* into geography."^ (2)A cross-section of an area's geography at any time in the past is important within itself and it is not necessary to relate its character to that of any other period, including the present. This school of thought was stressed by Alfred Hettner when he stated that: "An historical geography of any region is theoretically possible for every period of its history and is to be written separately for each period; there is not one but many historical geographies."3 (3)Past landscapes are recognized as being significant individual entities but emphasis w ill be placed upon the impact each has upon its successors. Derwent S. Whittlesey supported this theory in his discussion of sequent occupance: "The view of

2 Harlan H. Barrows, "Geography as Human Ecology," Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 13 (1923), p.11.

3Alfred Hettner, Die Geographie, ihre Geschichte, ihr Wesen und ihre Methoden. Breslau, 1927, p.151. (as translated and quoted in: Richard Hartshorne, The Nature of Geography, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 1939, p .184) geography as a succession of stages of human occupance establishes the genetics of each stage in terms of its predecessor."4 4)Delimitation of definite periods is unnecessary and emphasis should be placed upon changes rather than "stages of stability." Carl 0. Sauer has been a strong exponent of this philosophy and he and the majority of his stu­ dents have accentuated cultural processes, "geographical changes through time," in their historical geographic studies.5

The approach used in this dissertation includes all or portions of each of these methodological viewpoints. The Triangle's sequence of occupance is reconstructed (3); each of the eight regional geogra­ phies of the area as developed for past periods, is important by itself and can be analyzed separately (2); the principal changes between and among periods are described and examined (4); and the development of the 1960 landscape is traced through its historical antecedents (1).

This completness of coverage is not unique to this study but typical of most historical geographical works. It is more the location of emphases witlwthe separate studies than the organization of their parts which determines their character and makes it possible to identify them with a particular philosophy.

4Derwent S. Whittlesey, "Sequent Occupance," Armais of the Asso­ ciation of American Geographers. Vol.19 (1929)fp . 162.

5Carl 0. Sauer, "Forward to Historical Geography," Annals of the Association of American Geographers.Vol. 19 (1929)f p.l^T! Need fo r H is to ric a l Geography

There are few scholarly geographic studies of the pre-twentieth century character of the United States. Three major reasons for this deficiency are offered: (l)newness of geography as a formal discipline in this country, (2)the lack of any real interest on the part of

American geographers to do work in historical geography, and (3)the historians general lack of geographic training.

l)Geography, although one of the oldest sciences in the European academic sphere, is a relative newcomer in the United States. The first chair of geography was established at Princeton in 18546 and the first undergraduate college degree with a geography major was not granted until 1908.^ It was nearly twenty more years before schools began to train any sizable number of scholars specifically for the doctorate in g geography. Because of this late start, good geographical research was not accomplished on a large scale until the second quarter of the twentieth century. Prior to that time America's geography was not well

6John K. Wright, Geography in the Making. The American Geographi­ cal Societyi 1851-1951. , 1952, p.45. 7 Eugene Van Cleef, Professor Emeritus, The Ohio State University, personal interview, 1960. No written record of the first undergraduate degree with a geography major could be found. g Andrew H. Clark, "Historical Geography," American Geography. Inventory and Prospect, ed. Preston E. James and Clarence F. Jones, Syracuse, 1954, p.80. recorded, hence, contemporary geographers are challenged to reconstruct

its beginnings in retrospect. Fortunately some of America's past was preserved by writers in other fields, particularly the "natural histor­ ians," and there is a foundation upon which to build. George P. Marsh,9 Nathaniel S. Shaler10 and Albert P. Brigham,11 were chief among those who did substantive works on the character of our nation's geography during its early history. Since the emergence of geography in the last thirty years, however, regional studies have been written for almost all

sections of the country and these will someday represent America's historical geography. The British geographer, H. C. Darby, emphasized this when he said: "All geography is historical geography, either actual or potential."1^ Because of this, it is unlikely that our coun­ try's geographical story will ever again have so great a void as now exists for the pre-twentieth century era—all the more reason to proceed with its reconstruction.

9George P. Marsh, The Earth as Modified by Human Action, New York, 1874. (A later edition of hten and Mature, or Physical Geography as Modified by Human Action, New York, 1864.)

10Nathaniel S. Shaler, Nature and Man in America, New York, 1891; idem. Man and the Earth, New York, 19OS.

^A lbert P. Brigham, Geographic Influences in American History, Boston, 1903; idem. From Trial to Railway Through the Appalachians, Boston, 1907.

^H. C. Darby, "The Relations of Geography and History," Geography in the 20th Century, ed. Griffith Taylor, New York, 1960, Chapter 28, p .646. 2)American geographers have shown little interest in pursuing historical geographical studies. A large number of doctoral disserta­ tions have been written with this approach but very few of the authors sustained their interest after graduation.13 This lack of enthusiasm for historical geography was pointed out by Carl Sauer in his 1940

Presidential Address to the American Association of Geographers: f,A peculiarity of our American geographic tradition has been its lack of interest in historical processes and sequences, even the outright rejection thereof.nl4 Andrew Clark re-iterated these sentiments more recently in his discussion of historical geography in American Geography, Inventory and Prospect: "In North America few studies at any time have been made avowedly as historical geography."15 There are probably a great variety of reasons for this neglect but three seem to be out­ standing: (a)American geographers have concentrated more upon the purely geographic phases of their field, those near the so-called "core" of geography, than upon peripheral phases which overlap to some degree with other disciplines. Nevin M. Fenneman rationalized this centri­ petal tendency in his treatise on The Circumference of Geography:

"The constant apprehension is that by admitting alien subjects we shall sooner or la te r be absorbed by a foreign power and lose our id e n tity .

*

13Clark, op.clt., pp.85-86.

14Sauer, op.cit., p.l.

^®Clark, op.cit., p.80.

l^Nevin M. Fenneman, "The Circumference of Geography," Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 9 (1939), p.3. 9 Whether born of apprehension or not, this inclination toward developing the subject's core is understandable when it is recalled that geography, as a formal discipline within American universities, is only several decades old. There has been some need for definition of the United

States school of geography and its members have justifiably been con­ cerned with forming its character. But its identity has been sufficiently established by now and there is a need for developing the more "circumferential" aspects of the field, particularly historical geography. Its validity as an area of geographic research has been well supported by many outstanding American geographers who generally agree that the analysis of spatial relationships reconstructed for past periods is as safely within the limits of the field as is an examination of those designed for the present. (b)"The reconstruc­ tion of past culture areas is a slow task of detective work, as to the collecting of evidence and weaving it together . . , involves knowledge of the functioning of the given culture as a whole, a control of all the contemporary evidences, which may be of various kinds, and the most intimate familiarity with the terrain which the given culture occu­ pied."17 Many geographers either fail to meet these qualifications in regards to a specific area or are unwilling to expend the time and energy necessary for the development of its historical geography.

17Sauer, op. c it., p.13. 10 (c^There is an actual or assumed want of reliable materials descrip­ tive of early geographical conditions."18 There are probably some portions of the United States for which data are insufficient to provide for an accurate accounting of past geography. But, as proven by the growing number of scholarly historical geographic studies, information is adequate for the treatment, at least generally, of most of the country.

3)Even though our nation's early heritage has been well recorded by historians, their treatment of its character was, for the most part, far from geographical. The historian's interest is one of showing sequence in time and he hurries from one event to another, placing a minimum of emphasis upon the landscape as it exists at any given time.

Geographers cannot blame historians for the near absence of pre-nine- teen hundred geographic studies in this country but the fact must nevertheless be recognized that, had early American historians known more geography, their contributions would make the reconstruction of past periods an easier task. It should be pointed out, however, that their voluminous works give considerable perspective to the historical geographer as well as provide him with a great deal of usable factual d ata.

l®Ralph H. Brown, "Materials Bearing upon the Geography of the Atlantic Seaboard, 1790 to 1810," Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 28 (1936), p.203. Sources of Information

The chief sources of information for this study were books, federal, state and local governmental reports, newspaper and magazine articles, maps, records of several historical societies, original

sources such as letters and unpublished manuscripts, personal inter­ views and correspondence, and an industrial questionnaire.^

Before and during the writing of the dissertation, field trips were made through the Triangle for the purposes of becoming familiar with the contemporary landscape, searching for relics of past periods, and the taking of pictures.

The writer lived in the Erie region for seventeen years and, after leaving to attend college, returned for five additional summers.

Considerable knowledge of the area was gained during these years and much of the factual information and many of the ideas used in the thesis are drawn from personal experience.

It is not claimed that all sources of information were found and exhausted, but for the extent of detail and consequent generalizations presented, the amount of material covered was adequate.

■^A copy of this questionnaire is included as Appendix A. CHAPTER I

DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA

The C u ltu ral S ettin g The E rie T riangle Region, sometimes known as the "Chimney Corner" of Pennsylvania, occupies that part of the state that lies north of the 42nd parallel and includes approximately 316 square miles of its northwest corner. The Triangle is wholly contained within Erie County, contains the city of Erie and embraces the greatest concentration of economic activities in northwestern Pennsylvania. Its geographic cen­ ter is about 80 miles west of Buffalo, 100 miles east of and 125 miles north of Pittsburgh.

According to the United States census for 1960, an estimated 215,474 persons live within the area and the average population density is approximately 682 per square mile.^ The distribution is very uneven as over 190,000 of the total live in the urban areas along the north­ western edge whereas the southeastern portion is relatively empty.

■*-Erie County Planning Commission, Basic Survey and Research, Erie County Master Plan, Phase II, Erie, 1960, p.30-1.

12 13

The density for the city of Erie is about 8,960 per square mile; in the two southeasternmost townships it averages only 45 per square m ile.^

The majority of the people are white and the region's Negro population represents a very low 1.6 percent of the total. A very small number of Puerto Ricans live near or on a few of the larger fruit farms in the area. Approximately 7 percent of the County's population is foreign born. The three largest groups of foreign born and first or second generation extraction, are the Polish, Italians and Germans, in that order.^

Transportation facilities are excellent toward the east and west but only average toward the south. To the north lie the waters of Lake

Erie which, during the ice-free shipping season, offer excellent, low- cost communication with other ports of the United States and with the ports of foreign countries. Four railroad lines service the area and freight and passenger connections with all the major market areas of the United Slates are good. Erie is the division headquarters for two of these, the New York Central and Pennsylvania, and is a main station

^Erie County Planning Commission, Population Trends for Erie County, Erie County Master Plan, Phase Erie, 1960, p.38. g Erie County Planning Commission, Basic Survey and Research, op. c it., p.25. H.

[ERIE

■sta tc o o w o o r ic s

■ attt PUOLIC mSM W AYS XMVbMi PRCA S

REGIONAL SITUATION OF THE ERIE TRIANGLE (After Erie County Planning Commission) for the Nickel Plate (Chicago and St. Louis), and the Bessemer and Lake

Erie. The Pennsylvania provides connections with the steel-producing centers in central and-'eastern Pennsylvania and is a fairly direct route to the Pittsburgh and Johnstown areas. The line maintains normal passenger service but the major emphasis is placed upon the transporta­ tion of freight. Only freight service is provided by the Bessemer and

Lake Erie road, which connects Erie with Pittsburgh via a somewhat indirect route, while the New York Central and Nickel Plate lines furnish the area with both passenger and freight service. The New York Central extends from Chicago to New York and the Nickel Plate from Chicago to

Buffalo.

Federal highways numbers 5 and 20 serve the region from the east and west and pass through the heart of the Triangle's urbanized lake plain area. The recently completed Interstate Route 90 passes just to the south of this belt and is connected to the major population centers by 10 secondary roads. All three of these are important east-west road­ ways and they provide the Triangle with good access to the Buffalo and

Cleveland metropolitan areas. State Routes 19 and 98, as well as a number of minor routeways lead toward the Pittsburgh industrial complex to the south and 19 has connections with the Pennsylvania Turnpike just north of Pittsburgh. A limited access super-highway between north­ and the Pittsburgh area has been proposed and will be built in the near future. The region's trucking facilities are excellent as 36 firms, including local and long distance haulers, pro­ vide service for Triangle shippers. H*►n 10 ERIE TRIANGLE 1963

Cl T t

19 ■ I i. C S (After Erie County Planning Coranission) 17 The Port of Erie includes one of the finest natural harbors on the Great Lakes and has facilities for handling both Great Lakes and ocean shipping. The city recently opened a municipal terminal which is par­ ticularly equipped to handle the new business stimulated by the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway. The entrance channel, harbor, and wharf channels are all maintained at the standard Seaway depth of 27 feet. There are three airports within the Triangle but the majority of commercial air service is provided for by the Erie City Airport which is served by four airlines. All of these are feeder lines operated by the C apital, Lake C entral, and the Allegheny and Mohawk companies. The region's economy is based primarily upon a complex industrial base of 428 separate establishments. The variety of these firms is emphasized by the fact that Erie ranks third in diversity of manufac­ tured products among United States cities with populations of less than 500,000. On the basis of employment, the five most significant kinds of industry are, in order of importance, electrical machinery, fabricated metal products, non-electrical machinery, primary metals and tran sp o rtatio n equipment.4

Agriculture is second ranking in regards to value of output and as a result of the Triangle's moderate climate and good soils, it also presents a variety of products. In order of dollar value, the leading specialties are dairy products, fruit and nuts, field crops, livestock and stock products, horticultural specialties, poultry and poultry

^Erie County Planning Commission, Basic Survey and Research, o p .c i t., p .53. 18 products, vegetables and forest products.5

The Triangle's fishing activities, although on the decline are still among the most important on the Great Lakes. Tourism is con­ tributing an increasing amount to the area's income with the growing importance of Presque Isle Park as a place of recreation.

The region contains eig h t modem h o sp ita ls, a large number of primary and secondary educational establishments and seven colleges.

Power is furnished by the Pennsylvania Electric and the Pennsylvania Gas companies.

The Physical S etting

Geology

To the great majority of geographers, geologic phenomena are of interest only in so far as they are directly involved or reflected in the geographical features existing upon, about or within them. But, because the nature of the physiography, hydrology, soils, vegetation and mineral deposits of the Erie Triangle are generally influenced by the region's lithologv, the geological formations will be briefly dis­ cussed here.

The bedrock of the area is formed primarily from sediments deposited upon the bottom of a Paleozoic ocean, along the western slope of the historic Appalachian Geosyncline. Because of this location within the geosyncline, the area’s substrata tilt toward the southeast at the rate

5l b i d ., p .58, of about 15-20 feet per mile. The lithic formations which are presently exposed at the surface, were deposited during the late Devonian Period, approximately 270 million years ago. Some of the very deep strata of northwestern Pennsylvania are Pre-Cambrian in age, but only those form­ ations which directly underlie the till and lacustrine mantle or are exposed in outcrops will be discussed here. Oil, gas and mineral bearing strata are discussed briefly in the section on minerals.6

Portage Formation

Flaggy sandstones and dark shales of the Portage rock unit make up the oldest outcropping in the Triangle region. These rock strata are exposed along the lake shore, particularly east of Presque Isle, and occur at the surface along the lower portions of some of the deeper

stream ravines. The top of this formation first appears above lake water level at a point approximately two miles east of the Ohio state line and gradually rises eastward until about 475 feet of its thickness

is exposed at the New York state line. The total thickness of the form­ ation at a midpoint along the lake shore has been estimated at about

1400 feet. The face of the Portage outcrop parallels the shoreline and the strata form an approximately two mile wide rock foundation for

6I. C. White, The Geology of Erie and Crawford Countiest Harrisburg, 1881, pp743-44. 20 the overlying glacial deposits which cover most of its upper surface.®

Chemung Formation

The members of this formation which are exposed in the area are generally called Girard, Chemung and Venango. The oldest, the Girard

shale beds, rest upon the upper Portage deposits and are exposed on the walls of gorges cut by streams descending to the lake. These beds un­ derlie an even greater portion of the deposits than do the

Portage strata and they make up most of the bedrock platform north of the Mississippi-Great Lakes stream divide* Lying atop the southeastern

section of the Girard layers is the Chemung flag formation which out­ crops along the northernslope of the divide and occupies many of the broad, flat valleys of the French Creek tributaries which flow to the

south of that ridge. The youngest bedrock in the Triangle is represen­ ted by the Venango sandstone which is probably the uppermost member of the Chemung formation.9 These rock strata cover the high divide which

overlooks the lake and which is generally considered to represent the western edge of the Appalachian Physiographic Province.

g John W. Mangan, Donald W. Van Tuyl, and Walter F. White, J r . , Water Resources of the Lake Erie Shore Region, United States Geological Survey Circular 174, Washington, 1952, p.29.

9In his Geology of Erie and Crawford Counties, I. C. White states that the Venango strata are half in the Chemung formation and half in the younger Catskill formation. Because only the lowermost portion of the Venango deposits remain in the Triangle area, it is assumed that they belong to the older Chemung formation. 21

Pleistocene Deposits

Although the afore-mentioned bedrock formations greatly influence the region's basic surface features, glacial deposits mask them and generally dominate the local landscape. The greatest portion of the area'8 topography was shaped during the Pleistocene Period and the characters of the more important physiographic units are discussed in a later section. Northwestern Pennsylvania was covered at least three times by continental glaciers, as evidence has been found to substan­ tiate the appearance of the Kansan, Illinoian and Wisconsin ice sheets.

The Wisconsin glacier, the last to occur, moved through the region between 10,000 and 15,000 years ago, overriding and covering landforms which were developed in part by earlier glacial and fluvioglacial a c tio n .^ 0

Mineral Resources

The Triangle is not well endowed with mineral resources and, present^ there is not a single commercial mineral enterprise of any consequence within the region. But there are several minerals which were either important in the past or which may warrant future develop­ ment.

^®Rubin Meyer and Corrinne Alexander, "U.S. Geological Survey Radiocarbon Dates IV," Science, Vol. 127 (1958), p.1477. 22 Natural Gas

The area Is underlain with several natural gas bearing strata which may someday prove quite valuable in expanding the region's industrial base. These gas deposits occur in the Medina11 sandstones which are located approximately 2500 feet below the lake surface.1^

Numerous wells have been sunk into these strata and nearly all have yielded gas, although none in great abundance. Two major drillings were made in the area in 1960 by a group from Ontario, Canada, and although one of the wells produced gas, its quantity did not prove to be of commercial size.1^ These wells were sunk in offshore waters just west of the city of Erie but they were bottomed in the same Medina sands which occur under the Triangle. Drillings have also been made into the more shallow Portage shales which average about 1,000 feet below lake level. Strikes have generally been small, ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 cubic feet a day.1^ The most recent well of any con­ sequence was sunk in the f a l l of 1960 near the town of N ortheast and

'T'his formation is sometimes called Clinton. The more proper of the two could not be determined so Medina, which was more commonly used in the literature, was chosen. 12 George H. Ashley and J. Frederick Robinson, The Oil and Gas Fields of Pennsylvania! Pennsylvania Geological Survey, Series No. 4, Harrisburg, 1922, p.34. 13 Quoted from the Grsat Lakes Newsletter (publication of the ) in the brie Daily Times. August 23, 1960, Erie, p.5.

14r . b . Saylor and A. E. Warne, Erie Pennsylvania. University Park, Pennsylvania, 1954, p.8, 23 and its daily flow was estimated at a sizable 300,000 cubic feet per day.15 A great many farms and several industries have gas wells, though smalltfor their convenience.

Although gas production within the Triangle has been quite modest, sizable strikes have been made just west of the Pennsylvania-Ohio boun­ dary line. Because the rock type and structure are similar in both places, there is a possibility that future drillings in Pennsylvania may prove productive. In adjacent Ashtabula County alone, 90 gas wells were put down between 1957 and 1960 and approximately 50 became commer­ c ia l producers.1^

Petroleum

Because northwestern Pennsylvania is underlain with at least thin beds of Berea and Salamanca sands, both petroleum producers in other places, there may be some possibility of finding usable petroleum depo­ sits at some future date. The Berea, particularly, is quite thick in northeastern Ohio and may also have great thickness underneath the

Triangle area. Drillings for petroleum were made as early as 1860, but, as have most borings made since that date, yielded primarily gas and very little oil,17

^"Shoot Gas Well Near Northeast," Erie Daily TimeB, October 14, 1960, Erie. 16Maxine Morgan, "Big Gas Well Hits In Conneaut Area1,' Erie Daily Times, November 23, 1960. l7White, op.cit., p.288. 24

S a lt A mineral that may prove of some industrial importance in the future of the region is salt. Extensive and workable deposits of this mineral have been found in northeastern Ohio and test drillings made within the Triangle indicate that these deposits extend much farther eastward. Early estimates place them at depths of between 100 and 200 feet and put their volume in the solidly commercial cate- gory.18 Several salt producing wells were sunk near the western apex of the Triangle many years ago but they were bottomed much deeper, penetrating to depths of several thousand feet. The log of one of these showed a fifteen foot layer of salt in the Salina section of the Medina shale at approximately 3,020 feet. Another was shown to exist between 2,298 and 2,369 fe e t.^

Bog Iron Although small deposits of bog iron still exist within the region, it is, understandably, no longer of any commercial value. But because of its importance during the formative stages of the area's industrial development, a brief discussion of its formation and location is inclu­ ded. Local deposits formed either in post-glacial swamps or just under their flat bottoms. The iron settled out of the sluggish water and was

18 "Salt Deposits Underneath County," Erie Daily Times, September 24, 1960.

^George Ashley, R. B. Stone, and W. 0. Hickok, The Undeveloped Mineral Resources of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Geological Survey, fourth Series, Bulletin, ^18-4, Harrisburg, 1933, p.38. generally mixed with sand, clay, and plant roots. A rich deposit was discovered in the early 1830’s near the head of Presque Isle Bay at the

A a present s ite of Waldameer Amusement Park. This ore supply, as was true for most bog deposits, was very limited but it did provide the iron-ore needs for several local furnaces and helped the foundry busi­ ness to become established within the Triangle.

Sand and Gravel The only contemporary mining of any import is that involved in the extraction of sand, gravel, and clay. Quality deposits of these materials are found all along the old lake terraces and have been exten­ sively used in the manufacture of building materials. Because of a scarcity of stone, gravel is often used instead of crushed stone in

the building of concrete highways and asphalt pavements. Several good deposits of molding sand are located within the area and some of these have been exploited by local industries. The most notable of these occur: near the Triangle's western apex, on the lake shore; about 1 1/4 miles west of Fairview, approximately 160 feet above mean lake level; and again on the lake shore, just north of Northeast. ^ The Triangle

also contains useful clay deposits and the region has a long history of brickmaking. Presently, however, the industry is dormant and ovens have not been in operation for several years.

20Roger E. Fish, Bog Iron, Erie, 1947, p.13.

21* . w . Stone, Molding SandB of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Geological Survey, Fourth Series, Bulletin 11, Harrisburg, 1928, p.8. 26

Building Stone

Building stone has been extracted at numerous places throughout the region but the strata which have been worked have generally been thin and of low quality. In the past, several quarries have been cut into the sandstone members of the Catskill formation, particularly where they have been exposed along beds of the lakeward bound creeks.

Although many basements and several whole buildings were constructed from rock quarried at these sites, its poor quality generally limited its use to that of providing sills, steps, and decoration stone. The

amount of stone was taken from the walls of Neely's Run and Four

Mile Creek. On Neely's Run the quarry was located approximately 1/4 of a mile south of the lake, and on Four Mile Creek, two were opened

—one at lake level and another 65 feet above lake level. In every case, beds were very thin, averaging from 1 1/2 to 3 feet in thick- ness. 22

Although the till mantle which covers a large part of the Triangle is surprisingly free from erratics, enough were gathered by many of the local residents for use in house and bam foundations, porches, fences and fireplaces. Today, the glacial boulder is probably more a nuisance than a mineral resource but many of the dwellings incorporating them

22r . w. Stone, Building Stones of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Geologic Survey, Fourth Series, Bulletin M15, Harrisburg, 1932, p.154. PLATE I

Fig. 3. An abandoned clay quarry near the center of the city of Erie. The clay was used by a nearby brick manu­ facturing plant which is now defunct.

Fig. 4. An example of the kind of rock strata located along Four Mile Creek that was once quarried and used for building stone. 28

into their construction still stand, illustrating the durability of the granite and gneiss brought in from Canada by the glaciers.

Physiography Physiographically the Erie Triangle region is divided almost equally between two major United States provinces. The northwestern half, by far the most important portion in terms of economic develop­ ment, is within the Eastern Lakes Section of the Central Lowlands Province, and the southeastern half is part of the Glaciated Section of the Appalachian Plateau Province.

Central Lowlands - Lake Plain Section The broad C entral Lowland of the American Midwest narrows toward the east and funnels out along the southern shores of lakes Erie and Ontario and along the St. Lawrence River. Throughout its Pennsylvania extent it averages from 3 to 4 miles in width. This lake plain is dis­ tinct physiographically from any other section of the state of Pennsylvania and has four principal characteristics: (l)the sandy depos­ its of Presque Isle and of several narrow, wave built beaches, located at intervals along the lake bluffs; (2)the wave-cut lake bluffs which face the lake along most of the Triangle's northwestern extent and have average heights of between 50 and 100 feet; (3)a succession of former lake terraces and beach ridges, rising step-like away from the present lake's edge; and finally, (4)a series of deep gorges, generally called "gulfs" by local residents, cut by short, fast-flowing streams which discharge into the lake at nearly right angles to the axes of the lake- bed step s. Presque Isle and other Beach Areas.-Presque Is le , which was formed only a little more than five centuries ago, is the youngest of the major landforms in the region,23 Its youth is explained by the fact that Lake Erie did not settle into its present level until approxi­ mately 1,000 years ago.24 Although sandy spits may have developed when the lake was at other levels, they would have been destroyed by major lake oscillations. After the lake water stabilized at a level somewhere near its present elevation, Presque Isle began to grow. Sedi­ ments from headland erosion joined those carried into the lake basin by streams and began to accumulate in the area now called Waterworks

Beach. The construction of what eventually became the largest sand spit on the Great Lakes was underway. Today, Presque Isle is the Triangle's most conspicuous physical feature and it forms a protective arm around a bay of some 5 1/4 square miles which is the finest natural harbor on Lake Erie. The peninsula is a compound recurved sand spit which is six and one-quarter miles long, one and one-fourth miles wide a t it s widest point, and covers approximately five square miles. Its elevation is very low and aver­ ages only seven feet above the lake's low water datum.23 There are

04 ^United States Army Corps of Engineers, Presque Isle Peninsula, Erie. Pennsylvania, Beach Erosion Control Study, House Document No.231, Washington, 1953, p.14.

^Siangan, Van Tuyl, and White, op. c i t . , p .6. 25 The low water datum fo r Lake Erie is a t an elevation of 570.5 feet above mean tide level at New York City, PLATE I I 31 four major and several minor beach ridges which extend across the spit in an east-west direction and these have an average height of about

20 feet above lake level.26 Many of the bathhouses, refreshment stands and general administrative structures have been built upon this higher ground. A sizable lagoon and marsh area, as well as an artificial marina basin are contained within the wide part of the peninsula.

Wave action has altered the nature of Presque Isle considerably over the years, and the importance of some of the major changes in its character will be discussed later. The principal concern of area resi­ dents has been to preserve the very narrow neck which connects the major sand deposit with the headland. The neck averages only about

800 fe e t in width and is n early two m iles lo n g .27 Lake w aters have often cut through this section, severing the peninsula from the main­ land.^8 The break has at times, even been great enough to afford entrance of small ships into the western end of the harbor. After a break occurred in the 1830’s a plan to develop a western harbor en­ trance was undertaken but eventually abandoned.2^ Because of its

26Presque Isle Peninsula. Erie. Pennsylvania. Beach Erosion Control Study, op. cit. . pp.lO-U.

27Ib id . 28 Since 1800 there have been six major breaches occurring in the years of 1828, 1874, 1892, 1914 and 1954. 29 S. B. Nelson, Nelson’s Biographical Dictionary and Historical Reference Book of Erie County. Erie. 1896. p.4l7. 32

importance in protecting the harbor from lake storms and in facili­ tating travel onto the rest of the peninsula, the need for preserving the neck is of considerable consequence. Protective schemes have been numerous and th e ir general fa ilu re only emphasizes the capricious character of nature.

Because of the longshore drift, the peninsula is moving slowly

eastward at the rate of approximately 50 feet every 100 years.30 This migration has not been great enough in recent years to arouse any great concern over the changes it might eventually make in the nature of the harbor and harbor entrance. Sand bars do form along some of the

outermost beaches and, at times, extend into the major shipping chan­ nels. Although the dredging of the channels is expensive, the offshore bars weaken the undertow considerably and make "rough water" swimming much safer along the easternmost beaches.

East and west of Presque Is le , long stretch es of narrow, wave-

built beaches lie along the foot of the lake bluffs. When the first

settlers came into the area, these beaches extended the full length of Pensylvania's present lake shoreline and afforded a rather desirable

path for pedestrian and horseback travel. Before this, the sandy strip was a popular Indian trail and was particularly important between the

eastern end of the lake and the Elk Creek area.31 But today these

beaches are discontinuous and are largest at those places where streams

enter the lake. Most of the more sizable beaches are, in fact, named

30Rubin, Meyer, and Alexander, loc. c it. S^Nelson, op. c it., p.533. PLATE I I I

F ig. 6. Shorewood Beach, formed near th e mouth of Twelve Mile Creek, la a popular swimming and boat- launching place in 1963.

Fig. 7. Elk Creek Beach, located to the east of the mouth of Elk Creek, was once one of the region's leading resort centers but is used only by a few nearby residents in 1963. 34 named for the streams which cross them. East of Presque Isle these deposits are composed primarily of sand whereas to the west they are made up chiefly of shingle and coarse gravel.^

As a whole these beaches have not been well developed for recre­ ation purposes but the larger areas now Include summer homes, fishing and boating concession^ camping areas and rather limited bathing facilities.

Lake bluffs.-Relatively steep, wave-cut bluffs run the full length of the Triangle's northwestern edge, facing the waters of

Presque Isle Bay and Lake Erie. Eastward from the city of Erie, they are composed primarily of blue shale and rise steeply, in some places nearly vertically, from 50 to 150 feet above the lake level. A shallow layer of less durable lacustrine deposits covers the shale throughout much of this eastern section and contributes to the irregular heights of the b lu ffs. Westward from E rie, the c lif f s are formed wholly of lake deposits and average from 50 to 100 feet in height. They are not as resistant to erosion as are the rock-defended terraces to the east and are therefore less steep and more dissected.

Because of these steep cliffs, access to the lake shore is very difficult throughout most of the length of the Triangle's lake-shore margin. Roads that do reach lake level generally follow the valleys of the several short, swift streams which have cut through the high

32 United States Army Corps of Engineers, Presque Isle Peninsula, Erie, Pennsylvania, Beach Erosion Control Study, House document No. 397, Washington, 1960, p.14. 35 terraces. Examples of these are the roads which dead end at Orchard

Beach, Freeport, Shorewood, Shade's Beach, Six-mile Beach, Manchester,

Avonia and at the mouth of Elk Creek. Natural access to the last named is, in fact, so good that, during the early days of settlement, plans for the building of a harbor there went as far as the state legisla­ ture before being dropped. Several decades later, the same area was considered as a terminus for the Erie Extension Canal, which, when finally constructed, ended farther east at Erie.

But, in general, transport between the lake shore and bluff top is difficult and routeways are necessarily steep and expensive to build and maintain. The many water-front tracks of the Pennsylvania

Railroad, for example, funnel toward the east of the city of Erie and climb up onto the ridge just beyond the harbor entrance. The gradient of this stretch of track is approximately 100 feet per mile and loaded trains move upwards very slowly, requiring at least twice the number of engines as would be needed to p u ll the same number of cars over a level roadbed.33

On the positive side, the heights of the bluff tops afford a panoramic view of the harbor and lake and offer very desirable home sites. Some of the finest residential sections in the Triangle have been developed near the margins of the cliffs.

33This gradient was determined by using data shown on the East Erie Quadrangle of the 1960 Pennsylvania State Geological Topographic Survey. PLATE IV

Fig. 8. Rock-defended bluffs of this nature are found bordering most of the Triangle's lake shore east of the city of Erie.

Fig. 9. West of the city of Erie, the lake bluffs are composed prim arily o f fin e g la c ia l d ep o sits. 37

Lake tierraces.-Between the edge of the wave-cut lake bluffs and the western boundary of the Appalachian Plateau is a series of lake- bottom plains and beach ridges which roughly parallel the lake shore.

A profile of these, drawn southeastward from the shore, would show them to be a series of broad steps, rising toward the Plateau. Westward from Erie there are three such flat areas, each of which represents an old lake bottom and shoreline. They have been named from north to south,

Warren, Whittlesey, and Maumee.34 East of Erie the lake shore has eroded inland and wiped out all traces of the shoreline, resulting in only two terrace levels.

The inland margins of these terraces are marked by rises of several tens of feet and by gravelly beach ridges. The areas between the rises are flat to gently rolling; topped primarily by stratified deposits of sand, silt, and clay; and inclined gently toward the north­ west. The whole terrace section averages about three miles in width with a variance of from one to four miles, and the southernmost edge is about 200 feet above the present lake level.33

The ecumene of the Erie Triangle is almost wholly contained within this region and all the major east-west transportation routes, with the exception of the Pennsylvania Thruway, cross the state on one of the

34 George H. Ashley, Scenery of Pennsylvania—Its Origin and Deve­ lopment , Pennsylvania Geological Survey, Fourth Series, Bulletin G6, Harrisburg, 1933, p.4.

^5Stone, Molding Sands of Pennsylvania, op. c it., p.3. 38

flat lake beds. The importance of the area is illustrated by the fact that the recently opened Thruway had to be built upon the more rugged plateau because of the difficulties and great expense that would have confronted attempts to acquire right of way across the intensively used plains. Gulfs.-The flat step-like terraces of the lake shore region have been deeply dissected by a series of short, swift, northward flowing creeks, forming deep gulfs at almost right angles to the lake bluffs and higher beach ridges. Several factors have been important in the formation of these narrow ravines. During the Wisconsin ice stage the Lake Erie basin was deeply scoured and with the last retreat of the glacier, a new and lower local base level was created for the region's north-flowing streams. Because these waterways were less than ten miles long and the available relief was over 200 feet, their gradients were extremely steep. In addition to this, the relatively impervious nature of the lacustrine silts and clays which covered the lake shore terraces resulted in a high percentage of runoff, adding to the velocity of the local streams and further increasing their ability to downgrade.

Even though attaining depths upwards to 200 feet, the relatively straight gorges do not represent a large part of the Triangle's lake plain area in that they were formed very recently and still have steep banks. Although many large farms and orchards are interrupted by their depths, l i t t l e good a g ric u ltu ra l s o il has mass-wasted in to them. They have, however, made construction of lake pjLain transportation routes 39 more difficult over the years and in several places, the building of high bridges was necessary to provide passage over them. The continuing importance of their barrier effect is illustrated by the fact that the highest trestle along the entire route of the Erie Extension canal was built across the Elk Creek gorge back in 1844, and one of the highest bridges along the en tire thruway system from Chicago to New York was built in 1960 to enable crossing of the Six Mile Creek gulf.

Appalachian Plateau - Allegheny Section

The southeastern part of the Erie Triangle extends into the Alle­ gheny section of the Appalachian Plateau; it constitutes approximately 55 percent of the total area of the region. This entire area was glaciated, so the topography is somewhat subdued with broad, moraine- mantled hills and valleys. The drainage was deranged resulting in the forming of several small lakes, numerous swamps and m isfit streams. Although the irreg u lar dumping of ground moraine contributed to the uneveness of the topography in places, in general its 10 to 25 foot thick veneer tended to decrease local relief by filling in lowland areas.36 The terminal moraines of both the Wisconsin and Illinois ice sheets, were deposited well south of the Triangle and there is no evidence that any type of ridge moraine exists within the region.37

In the eastern part of the Triangle, the northwestemmost margin of the plateau is clearly defined by the "Allegheny ," which,

36Ashley, o p .c it., p .5. 37The Nebraskan ice sheet either never reached the area or had all of i t s deposits erased by la te r g laciers, and the location of the Kansan terminal moraine has never been determined. 40

PLATE V

Fig. 10. Six-Mile Creek gulf at the point where it is crossed by the Pennsylvania section of Interstate Route Number 90.

Fig. 11. The Four-Mile Creek gulf is popularly known as Wintergreen Gorge throughout its inland reaches and is a well visited local tourist attraction. within a span of two miles, rises from the 900 foot level of the inner edge of the lake plain to a height of from 1300 to 1500 feet. The escarpment, which is prominent in Northeast Township, extends toward the southwest and becomes lower and less steep in that direction. It begins to lose its identity in the vicinity of Four Mile Greek and disappears into rolling hills several miles beyond that point. The gradients of the several highways that cross this ridge are steep and driving condi­ tions are sometimes hazardous especially during the winter months. In a situation which is similar to that existing along the lake bluffs, the escarpment top affords a fine view of the harbor and lake plain and has become a prime residential area as well as a popular sight­ seeing strip.

On the Plateau proper the general elevation of the hilltops increases rapidly from west to east, rising from about 900 feet south­ east of Girard to more than 1700 feet near the Triangle's southeastern comer. Though the hills in the eastern section are more rugged, there is more stream bottomland as the broad valleys of LeBoeuf and French's

West Branch creeks cover much of the area. Both lowlands are former glacial spillways and the present streams flowing through them are undersized misfits. In terms of land transportation this is a most desirable feature in that the broad valleys afford low level passage toward the lake plain.and the streams do not occupy a large portion of the routeways. The small size of the waterways also minimizes the difficulties involved in making necessary crossings. During Indian and pioneer days the French Greek valley was the most important north- south corridor in western Pennsylvania and, in the modem era, both a principal highway and a railroad are located along its bottomlands. 42 Hydrology

Lake Erie

The Triangle's water resources are superlative and constitute one of the region's major natural assets. Lake Erie, although not contained within the area, borders its northwestern edge for a distance of approx­ imately 47 miles, offering; an industrial and domestic supply of water of satisfactory chemical quality; a good commercial routeway; and a center fo r a variety of lake-side recreation a c tiv itie s . The amount and dependability of fresh water available to a region is important in determining the extent of i t s c u ltu ra l and economic development, and the majority of the Triangle's consumers use lake water, a supply which is almost inexhaustible and independent of local precipitation varia­ bility. Because of the relatively permanent nature of the Great Lakes system it is probable that Lake Erie will continue to be the dominant factor in any large increase in water utilization in the future. Its use in the agricultural and industrial development of the area will be restricted only by the intake and jumping facilities which are provided. The lake is also an important commercial routeway and is part of one of the busiest inland waterways in the world. The completion of the St. Lawrence Seaway made it possible for ocean vessels to reach the Triangle Region and gave new importance to its Great Lakes location. Nearby lake water, particularly around outer Presque Isle and the Beveral wave-built beaches, is used extensively for recreation with swimming, boating, and fishing being of particular importance. HYDROLOGY OF THE ERIE TRIANGLE

(A fter Erie County Planning Comission) 44 Presque Isle Bay

Presque Isle Bay, generally called the Erie Harbor, represents the chief hydrologic feature contained within the Triangle and covers approximately five and one-quarter square miles of area. The spacious­ ness of this naturally well-protected harbor affords considerable turning room for large ships and the federal government’s River and

Harbor Act of September 3, 1954, provides for the maintenance of chan-

QQ nel depths of 27 feet. Several local industries dunp refuse into the bay as well as into tributary streams and pollution is sufficient to limit the recreational use of the water to boating and fishing. Early residents used bay water for domestic purposes and for swimming and the introduction of more stringent pollution laws might result in similar uses in the future. The inner shore of the peninsula is lined with sandy beaches and a cleansing of the water would result in a considerable extension of bathing facilities.

At present, the entrance to the harbor is located at its eastern end and has been structurally reinforced to maintain a width of 300 feet. Before these concrete piers were constructed, the entrance location and size varied considerably and, on several occasions was nearly closed off by shifting sand bars.

Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Hall, and MacDonald, Engineers, Port of Erie Study, New York, 1955, p.7. 45 Surface streams

Although there is much surface runoff in the area, northwestern

Pennsylvania has no rivers and few streams of importance. There is, however, a large number of short creeks and runs which have their origin on the dividing plateau ridges to the southeast. Most of these empty northward into Lake Erie and several flow southward into the system.

The principal streams tributary to the lake are, from west to east Conneaut, Trout, Walnut, Mill, Four Mile, Six Mile, Eight Mile,

Twelve Mile, Sixteen Mile, and Twenty Mile creeks. Because of differ­ ences in the orientation of glaciolacustrine beach ridges and of the underlying strata, all the creeks located east of the city of Erie are generally shorter, carry less water, and flow more directly into the lake than those to the west. Mill Creek and all of its western neigh­ bors flow almost exactly west, at right angles to the eastern streams, until within a short distance of the lake where they abruptly turn northward and empty in to i t .

The southern part of the Triangle is drained by one of the north­

ernmost tributaries in the Ohio River system, French Creek and its

LeBoeuf branch, the waters of which eventually empty into the Allegheny R iver.

All of the streams in the area were formerly more voluminous and had less variability of discharge than at present but the widespread 46 cutting off of the timber greatly altered their nature.39 During pioneer days many of the local waterways were used for navigation and almost all of them for waterpower. Today, due to a considerable decrease in volume as well as a different state of technology, none is used for navigation or waterpower. Several industries and numerous farmers draw water from the streams but the variation of flow in all except French Greek is too great for them to be considered as important water sources.40

Because of their small size, direct courses and relatively steep banks, flooding is not a major problem in the area. When floods have occurred, with one exception, only small areas have been affected and little damage has resulted. The most intensively developed part of the

Triangle was badly flooded in 1915 when Mill Creek, which flows almost through the middle of the city of Erie, overflowed. About 25 persons were killed and more than two million dollars' worth of property was destroyed.As a result of this tragedy, a huge conduit was built and the stream is now carried underneath the city. Severe rains have occurred on several occasions since its construction and flooding has taken place along neighboring streams but the "tube," as natives call it, proved adequate in containing Mill Creek runoff. The tunnelling of the

^Nelson, op. cit., p .83.

40Mangan, Van Tuyl, and White, op. cit., p p .8-27.

41john G. Carney, Tales of Old Erie, Erie, 1958, p.165. 47 creek greatly altered the character of Erie's business district in that it covered the picturesque stream and made travel within the heart of the city much easier.

Lake Pleasant

The only lake of any size within the area, Lake Pleasant, is located near the Triangle's southeastern apex and is used for little else but fishing and small craft boating. In most parts of the region, the relief and nature of the regolith are such that large amounts of surface water can be easily impounded so that small artificial lakes and ponds are commonplace throughout the agricultural countryside.42

Ground w ater

Because of the region's lithological nature, ground water supplies are small. The Triangle is underlain by consolidated sedimentary rock strata most of which are covered by unconsolidated glacial debris.

Neither the bedrock nor the drift contains large or numerous water­ bearing openings, and wells that are sunk are used chiefly for domestic purposes. Beyond the area served by the municipal water systems of Erie and Northeast, nearly every home uses ground water. This supply im­ proves from east to west, as the depth of glacial deposits increases in that direction, and is most plentiful along the gravelly beach ridges

^R . M. Leyette, Ground Water in Northwestern Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Geological Survey, Series No. 4, Bulletin W3, Harrisburg, 1936, p.215. 48 of the lake plain and along the outwash terraces in the plateau val­ l e y s .^

Climate

The Erie Triangle lies completely within the Humid Continental,

Warm Summer climatic region according to the Kttppen classification as modified by Trewartha.44 Data collected at the Port Erie weather sta­ tion show that seven months of the year have average temperatures that are over 50 degrees, with the warmest month averaging a hot 75.4 degrees and the coldest a c h illy 26.5 d e g r e e s . 45 combine these figures with the fact that every month of the year has over 1.3 inches of precipitation and it can be concluded that the region is a most typical Dfa a r e a . 46

There is, however, a marked difference between the climate of the

lake plain which is greatly modified by Lake Erie, and that of the

Appalachian Plateau section which is cut off from the tempering influ­

ences of the lake by high beach ridges and the abrupt Allegheny

escarpment. Even though the conditions in the latter area are more

extreme, it is still clearly within the same general climatic region as

the former.

43Mangan, Van Tuyl and White, op. cit., p .31.

44Glenn T. Trewartha, An Introduction to Climate, New York, 1954, pp. 339-342.

45A11 of the temperature figures used in this study will be in degrees Fahrenheit.

46United States Weather Bureau, Erie County data as shown in the records of the Port Erie station, Erie, Pennsylvania. Precipitation

The average annual precipitation for the Triangle Region is

approximately 38.24 inches. Annual totals are lowest along the lake shore, measuring around 34 inches, and they increase toward the interior with the greatest amount, 42 inches, falling in the region's southeast corner.^ The almost parallel isohyets shown on figure 13, clearly reflect the step-like nature of the topography and the influence of the high elevations of the southeastern section. The major portion

of the precipitation is cyclonic and, during the fall, winter, and spring it is almost entirely so. Summer rain is about equally divided between convectional and cyclonic. Precipitation is well distributed throughout the year with all months reg isterin g over 2 inches and none over 3.5. The to ta l for every month is, in fact, within .8 inches of the area's monthly average of 2.87. April is the wettest month with an average fall of 3.5 inches and February is the driest with an average of 2.07.48 During the growing season, a l l p arts of the region receive an adequate amount of precipitation to support most forms of agriculture. Winter snowfalls are impressive and their accumulation varies

from a low of 55 inches, recorded along the lake shore, to a high of 75 inches, registered in the extreme southeastern corner. Both the t a b l e 1

Meteorological Nortnals. Means And Extremes For Port Erie

Temp. P rec ip . Snow B el. Hum. R el. Hun. No. of Mo. o f Days Temp. Extreme Norma I Mean T o tal 1:30 a ,a . 1:30 p.m. Wind-Mean P re v a ilin g C lear Cloudy Or Normal Lowest Inches Inches EST EST Hourly Speed D irectio n Days Partly Cloudy

January 27.2 -15 2.34 12.6 84 79 12.4 SSW 2 29

February 26.5 -16 2.07 10.3 84 76 11.4 wsw 4 24

March 34.1 - 5 2.79 8.2 81 71 11.7 SSE 6 25

A p ril 4^.3 7 3.50 2.8 79 65 10.2 WSW 8 22

May 55.1 30 3.19 0.1 82 66 7.9 S 10 21

June 65.5 40 2.87 0 .0 85 70 7.9 s 12 18

Ju ly 75.4 42 2.50 0 .0 84 64 12.7 S 12 19

August 69.0 42 2.48 0 .0 85 63 7.5 s 11 20

September 63.2 33 3.39 0.0 82 63 8.6 s 10 20

October 52.3 23 3.01 1.2 80 65 9.0 s 9 22

November 41.0 6 3.26 7.5 78 70 11.4 SSW 4 26

December 30.7 -11 2.39 12.2 80 75 12.6 SSW 2 29

Avg. Year 48.3 -16 34.48 54.9 82 69 9.9 s 90 275

(Source: United States Weather BureaiO Ocn 51 modifying effect of the lake and the orographic Influence of the higher elevations of the plateau, play important roles in determlng snowfall totals. The lake often remains unfrozen as late as mid-December and warming onshore breezes modify the depth of snow along its fringes. It is not uncommon in late fall and early winter to find a deep snow cover south of the Lake Shore Road, and yet discover the edges of the lake bluffs to be barely whitened. The heaviest snow accumulation gen­ erally occurs on the plateau where the lake's tempering influence is very slight. Warm, snow-melting breezes that move, inland across the lower lake terrace are weakened by the high beach ridge which rises along its southern edge. The higher elevation of the area to the south of this rise also induces increased snowfalls. Winter sports, partic­ ularly skiing, are quite popular throughout the southeastern part of the Triangle. The Behrend Center, Schuler, Haize and Frontier hills are several of the slopes that are heavily used.

Temperature

The average annual temperature for the Triangle's lake shore re­ gion is 48.3 degrees and the average annual range is 48.9 degrees. July is the warmest month with a normal recording of 75.4 degrees and

February is the coldest, registering an average of 26.5 degrees. The h ig h est tem perature ever recorded was 98 degrees w hile th e lowest was 16 degrees below zero.49

49Ib id . 2 OMllC' 4 0 o o n i 38 36 (A fter Erie County Planning Commission) AVERAGE ANNUAL PRECIPITATION ANNUAL AVERAGE

Eig. 13. 53

As was true for precipitation distribution, the temperature charac­

ter of the lake terrace area is very different from that found atop the

plateau. Differences are particularly marked in the length of growing

season and in the annual and diurnal temperature ranges.

The frost-free season at the lake's edge is approximately 195 days

but only 140 near the Triangle's Inland corner. In the spring the cool water reduces litto ral temperatures and checks vineyard and fruit tree

blossoming until the danger of frost is lessened. Conversely, in the

fall, warm lake breezes delay the coming of the first frosts of oncoming winter. The region's first killing frost occurs on a later date than

anywhere else in Pennsylvania.50 The same Allegheny Escarpment which

largely limits the inland penetration of the lake's modifying influence,

also facilitates the drainage of cool air from the higher plateau onto

the coastal plain. This circulation is further affected by nocturnal

offshore breezes which are induced by a pressure contrast between warm

lake waters and the adjacent cooler land surfaces.51 The active air

movement makes the area all the more desirable for vineyard production

as it helps to keep the grapes and vine foilage dry, and largely deters

fungus diseases.5^ The fruit and nut belt of the region is completely

S0E. Willard M iller, Readings in Pennsylvania Geography. University Park, Pennsylvania, 1957, p.37.

5^Glenn Haskins, "Orchard Sites and Frosts," American Fruit Grower. Vol. 70 (October 1950), pp.11, 20. S^Richard E. Dahlberg, "The Concord Grape Industry of the Chautaqua-Erie Area," Economic Geography, Vol. 37 (1961), p .152. NUMBER OF DAYS WITHOUT KILUNO FROST

190 ISO 170

(After Erie County Planning Comnisaion) 55 contained within the lake plain while hardier crops are usually culti­ vated upon the climaticaUjmore severe plateau. Local farmers have illustrated the importance of the lake's influence with the traditional statement: "If the lake can be seen from a field, it can be used for the growth of orchards and vineyards."

In addition to its impact upon the length and timing of the

Triangle's growing season, the lake moderates extremes of heat and cold throughout the year. Both the annual and diurnal temperature ranges increase markedly toward the region's southeastern corner. Days with less than a five degree temperature change are common during the winter whereas the range in simmer is seldom more than 1-15 degrees. Low cloud formations prevailing from late autumn through early spring, aid in keeping daily temperature variations to a minimum. During periods of clear or partly cloudy summer weather, onshore lake breezes build up during the day and prevent high afternoon temperatures. At night, the wind8 generally reverse their direction and warm offshore breezes keep nocturnal temperatures from falling very low. Summer days along the lake plain are therefore considerably more comfortable than on the plateau but night temperatures are somewhat higher and less comfortable.

Temperatures of the lake water itself are also of concern to

Triangle residents in that they go a long way in determining the length of the shipping, tourist and winter recreation season.

The average navigation season for the region's only port city,

Erie, is 257 days long. Records for the last 20 years show that the harbor's average opening date has been April 14, and its average closing date, December 26. Within the same time period the earliest opening 56 date was on March 19 and the latest on May 5, while the earliest clos­ ing date was on December 7 with the la te s t fa llin g on January 5. The full length of Erie's shipping season is seldom used, however, because much of the tonnage either originates in or is exported to the Upper Lakes Region where the ice-free season is much shorter. , for example, is safely open for an average of only 215 days—42 fewer days than Lake Erie.®3

During the closed shipping season winter sports, particularly ice fishing, thrive on the frozen condition of Presque Isle Bay. Ice thick­ ness will often reach a foot or more and it is not uncommon for fishermen to build stove-heated shacks over bay water and on occasion even drive their automobiles onto the ice. Because of its shallowness, Lake Erie warms quickly under the spring sun, and water temperatures ris e enough to encourage beachcombing as early as Memorial Day. The season usually lasts until well into September although it closes officially on Labor Day.

Cloud cover

Any climatic study of northwestern Pennsylvania would not be com­ plete without at least a short conmentary on its extreme cloudiness. The lower lakes area is second only to the Pacific northwest in duration of cloud cover and Erie is one of the cloudiest cities in the United States. The lower lakes region averages over 60 percent cloudiness

53United States Corps of Engineers, Great Lakes Harbors Study— Interim Report on Erie Harbor, Pennsylvania, Washington, 1960, p.16. with the Erie area hitting approximately 75 percent on the strength of an average of 275 overcast days per year.5^

S oils

The Erie Triange lies almost in the middle of North America's large, eastern Grey-Brown Podzolic Soil Group. The soils of this exten­ sive group were formed under forest vegetation in a humid, temperate climatic region. Following is a brief description of podzolic soils which was given in th e 1957 ed itio n of th e Yearbook of A g ricu ltu re:

Podzolic soils commonly have distinct Aj horizons. Some have B horizons that are accumulations of sesquioxides, humus, or both. Others have B horizons that are mainly accumulations of clay with minor amounts of sesquioxides and humus. Podzolic s o ils are more strongly weathered and leached than chemozemic or desertic soils but less so than latosolic soils. They are commonly acid, low in bases such as calcium, and low in organic matter. Levels of fertility therefore are moderate to low. Available moisture capacity is variable, depending on depth of soil and textures of horizons. As a group, however, the soils are responsive to scientific management.

The specific podzols under study were derived primarily from shale and sandstone, the greatest part of which was reworked by glacial ice.

Small amounts of limestone and granite were carried into the area by the Pleistocene glaciers and added to the local parent material. The soils which developed upon these parent materials are primarily silt

54r , d. Ward, "Cloudiness in the United States," The Geographical Review, Vol. 9 (1920), p.352, and United States Weather bureau. Port Erie Station.

55United States Department of Agriculture, Soil, the Yearbook of Agriculture, 1957, Washington, 1957, p.29. 58 loams and are generally acidic, deep, and poorly drained.56

When considering their relationship to the agricultural produc­ tivity of the region, it would seem more logical to place soils in the category of permissive factors.

In general, their nature has neither attracted nor kept out speci­ fic crops but they have proven adequate in the support of those crops which were chosen, on the basis of other factors, for planting in the area.

Soil Areas of the Triangle Region

According to a soils survey published by the United States

Department of Agriculture in 1957, there are nine general soils areas in the Erie Triangle Region (Fig* 15). Two or more soil series are dominant in each of these areas and they are derived from similar parent material and occupy relatively similar topographic areas.®7 In the following paragraphs, these soils areas w ill be discussed in terms of their various physical components, capabilities, limitations, and pre­ sent use.

Area 1 - Wallington-BirdBall-Williamson-Collamer.-These soils are located along the northern edge of the lake plain to the east of Presque

Isle. They are derived primarily from lacustrine silts and clays, are poorly drained, and are acidic.58 The area is almost equally divided

56I b id ., p p .601-602. 57United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Survey. Erie County Pennsylvania. Washington, 1960, p .l, 58I b id ., p p .1-2. 59

between two kinds of land-use. In the west it has been taken over by

Erie's suburban sprawl and in the east it is devoted chiefly to the pro­

duction of vineyards and vegetables.

Area 2 - Rimer-Wauseon-Berien.-This soils area is the second

largest on the Triangle's lake plain and extends along the western one-

half of the region's shoreline. The member soils are deep, derived

from lacustrine sands, poorly drained, and low in phosphorus and potas­

sium.®9 The western portions of the area support one of the most

productive agricultural regions in the Triangle where grapes, late ma­

turing vegetables and fruit trees are grown; the eastern portions, with the exception of Presque Isle, are given over to urban development.

Presque Isle, being a state park, is preserved as much as possible in

its natural state and is largely woodland.

Area 3 - Conotton-Ottawa-Fredon.-One of the largest soils areas

in the Triangle, the Conotton-Ottawa-Fredon, lies along the inland side

of the lake plain and stretches the full length of the region. Soils

here, primarily derived from lacustrine sands and gravels, are acid and

have low amounts of potassium, phosphorus and calcium.®0 Because of

superior drainage and the modifying influence of Lake Erie, they are

among the most intensively used soils in northwestern Pennsylvania and

are in the heart of the Erie region's fruit belt.

59Ib id . 60 lb id . W»M inqton-Birdtal l-Wi 11 iwnon and Cot I

Conotton-OttoM-Fredon

HoMord-Pfcetps-Fredoo-ltelMy

Crie-Ellery and Aldoo-Ldnqford 61

Area 4 - Erie-Ellery-Alden-Langland.-This area is located on the

uplands of the plateau and covers a larger section of the Triangle

Region than any of the others. Its soils are poorly drained and are

chiefly derived from acidic shale bedrock and from granite, sandstone

and limestonewhich were carried into the area by glaciation.61 Because

of its great extent and complexity in physical character, Area 4 includes

a diversity of agricultural activities. Dairy farming, livestock, com,

hay, and small grain production are all important.

Area 5 - Howard-Phelps-Fredon-Halsey.-This second largest soils

area, also situated on the plateau, is primarily formed upon gravelly,

glacial outwash terraces which were deposited in the French Creek Valley

during the Pleistocene Period. For the most part, the soils here are

acidic and poorly drained. Because of the lowland location of this area, much of its territory is covered by cultural landscape features. Most

of the villages and towns in the southcentral and southeastern portions

of the Triangle, as well as the roads connecting them, are situated along

French Creek. Where farming is practiced, dairying and livestock pro­

duction are predominant.

Area 6 - Valusia-Mardin.-These deep, medium-textured and poorly

drained soils, cover a relatively small area in the northeastern section

of the Triangle, just south of the lake plain-plateau boundary line.

61Ibid., p.3. 62 This is an agricultural transition zone and includes some of the land- use patterns of both the lake plain and the plateau. Within the northern portion, where climatic conditions are favorable, grapes and tree fruits are grown whereas dairy farming and livestock production prevail in the south. Forest products are of some importance along the eastern edge of the area.62 Area 7 - Platea-Blrdsall.-Platea-Birdsall soils cover the western end of the Triangle's plateau section and they were formed upon fine glacial tills which are located between areas of lacustrine deposits and areas of coarse-textured glacial tills. Like most of the Triangle's till-derived soils they are poorly drained. Dairy farming and live­ stock production are of major rank here with corn, hay and small grains also being produced.63

Area 8 - Allis-Ellery-Alden.-The Allis-Ellery-Alden area is one of the smallest and most disjointed of the Triangle's soils units and, as are several others, is located on both the lake plain and the plateau. Its soils developed upon those parts of the lake plain and upland that were formerly covered by either lake water or glacial ice. These are the only shallow soils in the region and are among the poorest.6* Most of the area lies within the fruit belt and profitable farming has been accomplished through careful farming practices.

Area 9 - Canadice-Caneadea-Birdsall.-These three series comprise the smallest soils area in the Triangle and are wholly concentrated

62 ib id . 63Ib id .. p .4. 6* Ib id . 63 along the central portion of Its eastern edge. They developed upon the silts of a former lake bed, are deep and poorly drained. As is true for the soil areas surrounding them, dairy farming and livestock produc­ tion are the leading agricultural activities.

Vegetation

Of all the major aspects of man's physical environment, vegetation is probably the least durable. According to Indian and pioneer records the landform and climatic characters of the Triangle Region were substan­ tially the same during their eras as they are today. The floral landscape on the other hand, has been altered greatly and the area is without a single relict of its primeval forest.

Native vegetation

In order to present a more nearly complete picture of northwestern

Pennsylvania's natural environment as it probably existed when first discovered by man, native p lan t associations were reconstructed.®®

The original vegetation was nearly all forest which was composed primarily of various combinations of mixed hardwoods. The findings of

This reconstruction was made possible by an analysis of data drawn from studies made by the United States Department of Agriculture of the area's 45 soil series. The account given for each unit included a r£sum6 of its native vegetation cover. These were added together for each of the ten major soil areas in the region and if the evidence showed that over 80 percent of the area in question was covered by a particular plant association, it was considered as belonging to that association and mapped under the same key as all other areas of a similar nature. Due to the important interrelationship between soil and vegetation, only three areas failed to show the dominance of a single major tree association. These were entered upon the map as complex forest areas and all of the member trees listed in their titles. O * t NATIVE NATIVE VEGETATION OF THE ERIE TRIANGLE Chestnut-Oak-White Rine Chestnut-Oak-White White Etm-White/Bteck Ash-Red Naple •eech-Hapte-Chestnut-Hen lock-Rine-Tamarack

Fig. 16. 65 the processed data support the belief of several prominent plant ecolo­ g ists th a t the area was originally part of a great Beach-Maple climax forest that covered a large part of the Midwest extending as far west as

Wisconsin.6** Approximately 50 percent of the Triangle was covered by a rela tiv e ly pure stand of Beech-Maple and these same two trees were im­ portant members of two of the remaining four plant groups found in the region. A ll of the Beech-Maple dominated fo rest units were located on the plateau section of the area under study. In the southeast the purity of the climax association was interrupted by growths of hemlock and tamarack which thrived in the cool backwater swamps of the major stream valleys and by stands of oak and pine which grew on the well drained banks of these same streams. In the southwest, glacial drift is both thicker and more pervious than in the east and, in places, the Beech-Maple Associ­ ation was invaded by several varieties of the more drought-tolerant oak fam ily.

Both forest areas th a t were not dominated by the beech-maple com­ bination are located on the lake plain where the better drained sands and gravels supported the more droughty oak and pine while the muddy lagoons favored the shallow rooted red maple and black ash.

During the days of early settlement, this forest represented the area's single most important natural resource. Living quarters, forts and stockades were b u ilt of logs or of timbers hewn from them; fu rn itu re, to o ls and weapons of a l l so rts were formed from branches and saplings; firewood was in abundance; and protection both from the elements and from

66Henry J. Oosting, The Study of Plant Communities. San Francisco, 1948, p .249. 66 other mean was afforded. In addition, the forest provided many fruits and supported a great variety of game animals which were invaluable to the diets of the Indian and early pioneer settlements.

Present Forest Cover

As the population of the Triangle increased so did the pressure upon the forest. More and more land was cleared for agriculture, for the con­ struction of buildings and for the raw materials which the forest supplied.

Eventually, the whole area was cut over at least once and, today, only scattered woodlots of second- and third- growth timber stands remain.

The exact percentage of the total area that is still covered by forest is not known but a recent survey showed that for a section of the Triangle located south-southeast of the city of Erie, two-thirds of the non­ cultivated land was utilized for woodlands.67 This could be considered typical as the distribution of forest throughout the rural part of the region is quite uniform. There are no places of extensive, uninterrupted growth, nor any with great treeless stretches.

The present forest is of little commercial value but lumber, wood pulp, maple syrup, Christmas trees and several other wood products are obtained from it in small quantities. Forest products, as a source of income, are most important along the Triangle's eastern edge, particu­ larly in Northeast and Venango townships.

Erie County Planning Commission, Basic Survey and Research. op. c i t . , p .9. CHAPTER II

FRE-PIONEER PERIOD: TO 1795

Introduction

It is fitting that the description of the Triangle's sequent occupance prior to the nineteenth century should immediately follow a discussion of the region's natural qualities. For throughout the several centuries covered by this historical epoch, the area remained very nearly an undisturbed forestland. Cultural development was incon­ siderable and the physical environment was little changed. In the twentieth century the emphasis of geographic study is placed upon the cultural elements of a region and the dominance of man over nature is apparent. There are but few parts of the natural habitat that haven't been subdued by human development. Conversely, during the Indian- frontier days outlined in this chapter, the physical aspects of the area were most outstanding. The c u ltu ra l impact upon the region by the various groups that lived during the period was so slight that the natural habitat remained almost entirely intact.

Nevertheless, there is considerable Interest in the people that did populate the area prior to the nineteenth century, and the Triangle's historical geography would not be complete without an account of their activities.

67 This chapter represents over one-half of the Triangle's history and might better have been expanded into several chapters. But because the geographical landscapes of each of the groups that occupied the region during this long period were somewhat similar and because none of them had a very profound effect upon the contemporary geography of northwestern Pennsy 1vania, the whole pre-pioneer era is treated in one unit. The differences in regional and extra-regional structures that did exist between and among culture groups were sufficient, however, to warrant some separation. The chapter is therefore a compilation of micro-geographies, each of which has considerable in common with a ll the others. These are subdivided into two significant stages. In the first, the sequent occupance prior to 1653 is described with the major emphasis placed upon the distribution, nature, and areal association of the various Indian communities that developed within the region. Next, the geography of the area is outlined as it existed during the days of colonial struggle when the French and English were vying for domination of North America's interior.

Because the time period was such a dynamic one, both within the area itself and within the framework of world history, there is neces­ sarily more historical comment throughout this section than any of the latter ones. For the last century and one-half, the political and cul­ tural character of the area has been relatively constant and the historical-geographical continuum can be portrayed with a minimum of historical data. But prior to the assumption of control over the region by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, these conditions were ever changing 69 and geographic perspective would be difficult if not impossible without considerable examination of non-geographical factors.

Sequent occupance prior to 1753

Introduction

Prior to the advent of the white man, three great Indian groups lived within the Triangle Region. In order of occupance they were the

Mound Builders, Eries and . It is possible that other civili­ zations preceded these but nature has wiped out all elements of proof.

According to anthropologists, the area may even have been inhabited as long ago as Paleolithic time but definite limits and characteristics of the settlements that might have existed cannot be substantiated.^

The oldest proven residency within the region was that of the ancient Mound Builders, a group that predated the American Indian.2 The next culture group to live in the area, the Eries, occupied the Triangle as late as the 18th century but they were so completely annihilated in a struggle with the Iroquois, that almost all vestiges of their culture were lost. The last Indians to live in northwestern Pennsylvania were from several of the western tribes of the Iroquois Nation,3 particularly the Seneca and Wyandot.*

^Joseph Riesenman, J r ., History of Northwestern Pennsylvania, New York, 1943, Volume I, p.11.

2Ib id . 3 The French called this confederacy of tribes the Iroquois and the English called them the Six Nations. Most writers dealing with them use the two titles interchangeably and that will be the case in this study. ^Nelson, op. c it.t p.92. In general, authorities agree that the Triangle region was never

an important center of human activity prior to the coming of the Europe­

ans. Several former village sites and numerous Indian burial grounds

have been discovered but in almost every case, they have been relatively

small. A group of local archeologists, however, feel that the naturally

rich Presque Isle territory has been depreciated as an Indian stomping

ground. They contend that the area has not been as intensively re­

searched as the so-called "centers" of early Indian cultures and that,

in time, discovery will prove that the Triangle region has seen consid­

erable human activity for centuries. Very recent findings seem to

support this hypothesis.®

Regardless of the exact time span each of the separate Indian

tribes spent within the Triangle, the geographical landscapes will

be reproduced as they probably existed at the height of their several

civilizations.

, y Mound B uilders

Introduction

Long before the advent of the American Indian, the Triangle region,

as well as many other parts of the United States, was inhabited by a

race of people which has generally been called by the title of Mound

Builders. Their heritage is quite ancient and may have begun as far

®This opinion was given during an interview with Mr. Neil Cark, local archeologist, in June of 1961, 71 back as late Neolithic times. ^ Relics found in mounds in nearby Ohio have been dated by the radio-carbon method and some of them were found to be 8,000 years old. Of th e mounds d ated, the la rg e s t number were aged approximately between 4,000 and 6,000 years.7

There were several major regional concentrations of this cultural group and a l l o f them were e a st o f th e Rocky Mountains. Most o f th e ir villages were located either on the Great Lakes or on the Mississippi

River system, the unifying communication lines of their civilization.8

Earthworks that have indicated very similar cultures to the one that existed in northwestern Pennsylvania have been found in Ohio, ,

Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota and .9

Mound Builders, within the Erie Triangle

An important center of this ancient people was located near the southern shore of Lake Erie, along the many short streams which empty their turbulent waters into this southernmost of the Great Lakes. Much more is known about their activities along the western sector of the lakeshore but enough evidence has been uncovered within the Triangle region to show that their way of life was quite similar throughout the

^The placing of the Mound Builders in this era is not based so much on chronological age as on the group's mode of living. Weapons and tools of flint and other stone, for example, are similar to those found among proven Neolithic groups. However, of the 25 mounds dated by radio-carbon tests, several were found to have been built around 6,000 B.C., the approximate time when Neolithic farming began in the Middle East.

7William S. Webb, and Raymond S. Baby, The Aden People. No. 2 . Columbus, Ohio, 1957, fold out chart attached to back cover. 8William B. Price, Mound Builders, Indians, and Pioneers. Parkersburg, West V irg in ia, 1956, p .14.

9John E. Reed, History of Erie County Pennsylvania. Indianapolis, 1925, p.70. 72

entire region.^0 It is thought that the Triangle sector might have

represented the northeastemmost settlement area of the Lake Erie group

of Mound builders.^

Land use.-In northwestern Pennsylvania these people built their

villages either upon the steep bluffs above the incised streams or, if

they existed, upon relatively flood-free alluvial terraces. The streams were the main lines of communication and settlements were never very far

removed from them.^ The fish bones and scales that have been found in most of the local mounds indicate that these waterways were probably

larger during this early period and that the riverine tribes either

traveled to the lake to fish or traded with those groups living on the

lake. Ornaments made from shells native to the Gulf of Mexico were also

found, suggesting that commerical relations even existed with that far­

away place. Copper trinkets uncovered in the area Indicate that some

connection might have been made with the Lake Superior district.^-3

The Mound builders were mo*t Interested in agriculture than later

Triangle Indian residents and they actively cultivated the stream

10Harold L. Madison, Mound Builders. Cleveland, 1925, p.23.

^■John A. M iller, A Twentieth Cifttury History of Erie County. Pennsylvania. Chicago, 1909, p.13.

^Ibid., p.11.

13 Solon J. and Elizabeth H. Buck, The Planting of Civilization in Western Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh, 1939, p.21. 2 1

L \

\ T

h k

a Fig. 17. Areal Extent of OKLA the Mound Builders In the United States.

O tVWVM MQUMD e reunwr HOWNO e MOWN* TKM NK OP MtKM WMMNOWM

Pig. 18. location of Former Mounds In the Erie Triangle. bottomlands near their villages.14 Maize, the same crop that is gen­ e ra lly planted upon the reg io n 's floodplains in 1962, was the principal crop. Beans, squash and other vegetables were also important.

Other foodstuffs were provided by the hunt which often took place within the confines of the village game mounds. Circular earthworks were built with an opening being l e f t somewhere along th e ir course. Noisy drives were organized and wild game was forced into the dirt enclosures; the openings were closed with wooden gates and the animals were imprisoned, to be used as the need arose. Diets were also supplemented by the gathering of wild fruits and nuts, particularly blackberries, huckle­ berries, cherries, plums and hickory nuts.^®

Defenses were b u ilt upon the high ground behind th e v illag e s and huge earthen fortresses were constructed. Spear heads, arrow heads and other implements of war were found in local excavations and it is be­ lieved that the tribes living along the lake were among the most warlike of the Mound Builders.1**

14 Several authorities feel that their population throughout much of their territory, and particularly along the major bodies of water, was too great to be supported by hunting. It has been estimated that it would have taken upwards to 50,000 acres to support one hunter. (Gerard Fowke, Archaeological , the Mound Builders and Later Indians, Colunbus, Ohio, 1902, p.79.)

^Madison, op. c it., p. 12.

^Riesenman, op. c it., p. 11. 75

In addition to game drives and fortresses, mounds were used to build houses upon, for lookout stations, as religious effigies and as burial places. They covered areas up to tens of acres and reflected a considerable expenditure of labor.17

None of these mounds still exist within the Triangle Region as all of them were destroyed by subsequent settlers. The location of many of them w ill never be known but, fortunately, the positions and uses of a great number of earthworks were recorded before their destruction. As was true for the Mound Builder's civilization as a whole,18 burial mounds were most common and were found: on the Sterrett farm just south of Wesleyville on both sides of Four Mile Creek, southeast of the big curve on the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad;19 along the Erie and

Pittsburgh Railroad between the Lake Shore Road and the shipping dock in Erie c i t y ;^ 0 southwest of Girard, one of a series of four located between Girard and Springfield (the latter three are outside the Triangle region); and on the banks of Elk Creek near the crossing of the Nickel 21 Plate Railroad. A large circular military fortification was located

17 Reed, op. c it., p.72.

18Colonel Charles Whittlesey, "On Weapons and M ilitary Character of the Race o f the Mounds," Memoirs Read Before the Boston Society of Natural History, Volume I, Part IV, Boston, 1867, p.478.

19Nelson, op. c it., p.81. 20 John Nolen, Greater Erie, Erie, Pennsylvania, 1914, p.152.

^Nelson, op. c it., pp.80-81. 76 near the Triangle's western apex.22 Others, the intended purposes of which are uncertain, were discovered: on the lakeshore near Avonia; near the mouth of Walnut Creek; on the banks of Elk Creek near Middleboro in McKean County; and north of Fairview at the mouth of Trout Run.23 Al­ though no mounds could be distinguished, large concentrations of relics were found in the "Devil's Backbone" area along Elk Creek.2^ On the basis of these discoveries it is certain that there were many other mounds built throughout the region. Each village had its own complex of mounds and in those cases where, for example, an isolated fortress-mound was discovered, it is quite likely that other earthworks had existed in the same general vicinity.

C one1us ions.-The land use pattern of the Mound Builders has com­ pletely disappeared from the Triangle region and this ancient culture had no recognizable influence upon the contemporary use of the area. It cannot be proven but it is probable that many of their trails, village sites and points of defense were later used by the American Indians and possibly even by the pioneers. It is unlikely that the Mound Builders had any influence upon the settlement patterns beyond those early days.

Even during the height of their civilization, these people did not greatly alter the natural landscape. Their activities were almost

no **Riesenman, op. c it., p.11. 23 Nelson, op. c it., p.81.

2^Reisenman, op. c it., p.11. 77 entirely confined to local stream bottomlands and to a narrow strip of

Lake Erie shore area. The Triangle's physical environment was not well

suited to their culture because of the youthful nature of the region's

streams. Alluvial terraces were narrow and few in number, navigation was at best difficult and the steep sides of the coves made communica­ tion between the interfluve tops and stream basins problematical.

The impact of the Mound Builders upon later cultures may have been

greater if their record had not been so completely destroyed. Their civilization was far superior to that of the Indian tribes to settle the area after them but because there were no direct ties between the two groups, none of their "know-how" was passed on to their successors.25

There is evidence, for example, that they used copper, salt, gabbro, hematite, mica, silver, gold and o il,26

^here is no satisfactory evidence of any intervening race between the Mound Builders and "modern" American Indian. (C. C. Baldwin, "History of Man in Ohio," an address delivered to the Fireland Histori­ cal Society of Ohio in June, 1890.)

26Reisenman, op. c it., p.11. 78

E ries

Introduction

The Eries Indians occupied almost the entire Lake Erie coastal region with the greatest number of settlements being concentrated along the southern shore and stretching all the way from the Maumee Valley in

LAKE ONTARIO

NEW

PENNSYLVANIA

Fig. 19. Areal Distribution of the Eries Indians.

27 *'The Eries Indians have been called by many names: Eriez, Racoon, Cat, Neutor, Eirgas, Chats, Mad Spirits, Shaonons, Satanas, Andeatigue- rons, E riehronons, Kahkwa, C arantorans, Riquehronon and H eries. An interview was held with Mrs. C. F. Wilson, Erie County Historian, who has spent many years of research on the subject and she suggested that Eries was their correct title. It is on this basis that this label will be used in this study. 79

Ohio to the upper reaches of the Genesee River in New York State.28

Villages were particularly dense between the present sites of Cleveland and Buffalo and some were located as far south as the Allegheny River.29

It has been estimated that their population was probably more than

14,000 persons at the height of their civilization,30 This total was d is trib u te d among 12 la rg e towns and 28 v illa g e s .

Eries within the Erie Triangle

Though they lived in the Triangle more recently than the Mound

Builders, the Eries left even less evidence of their occupation than did their predecessors. They were less sedentary and did not build stur­ dy mounds in which relics could be preserved for study by later culture groups. Many of their settlements were still in existence when the first Europeans began to move along the lakes but they repelled almost all communication attempts made by these newcomers. In the local area,

Jesuit priests tried to establish an outpost on Presque Isle Peninsula at a very early date but their efforts toward friendship with the

Indians proved fruitless. They withdrew and important European penetra­ tion did not occur again until after the region had come under control

^^Reisenman, op. c it., p.23.

29John W. Ray, A History of Western Pennsylvania, Athens, Pennsyl­ vania, 1941, p.31.

30Raymond C, Vietzen, The Immortal Eries, Elyria, Ohio, 1945, p .385.

31C. Hale Sipe, The Indian Chiefs of Pennsylvania, Butler, Pennsylvania, 1927, pp.!>4-55. 80 of the Seneca tribe of the Iroquois Confederacy. 3^ It was this confed- eracy that completely vanquished the Eries in one of the most bloody wars in Indian history. The conflict took place in the early 16S0s and, upon its completion, the whole lakeshore area was taken over by the w estern members o f the Iroquois Nation. The E rie s, as an id e n tifia b le group, completely disappeared. Its members were either destroyed or absorbed into conquering tribes.33

Land use.-Like the Mound Builders, the Eries built their camps and villages along the larger streams in the area. A few settlements were located right on the lake shore but the majority of them were situated several miles upstream. Little is known about the actual size of the villages that existed within the Triangle but those found elsewhere were generally quite small, covering less than an acre of land. Some excavated Ohio settlements were spread along riverbanks for several miles but if any such conurbation had existed in northwestern Pennsylvania, it surely would have been discovered by this time. One authority, how­ ever, suggests that Rique, one of the largest towns ever mentioned in

Indian history, was located near the present site of Erie. This settle­ ment is believed to have contained between 3,000 and 4,000 warriors.35

3^Erie County Unit of the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration, Erie, A Guide to the City and County. Philadelphia, 1938, p.48.

33M. Du Chesneau, "Memoir on the Western Indians, September 13, 1681," Pennsylvania Archives. Second Series, Volume VI, Harrisburg, 1877, p .9.

3*Vietzen, op. c it.. p.159.

3SSipe, op. c it.,pp.54-55 . Regardless of size, the villages were generally located on the banks of the streams at places where the bottomland was relatively spa­ cious. Smaller units were scattered in both directions from the main center and the more distant of these provided military outposts from which runners could carry warning of impending danger back to the central village. Military considerations were of great importance and, as was the case with the Mound Builders, defensive installations were set up upon the bluffs behind the settlements. This high ground was also used for cemeteries and the Indian's knowledge of groundwater flow was reflec­ ted in their usual choice of well-drained land for burial sites. Eries dw ellings were o f two v a rie tie s : wooden lodges and skin tep ees. The former were built of posts and bark cut from the surrounding forest and were used as permanent housing units. The tepees, used by hunting and war parties, were made of animal skins, particularly those of the deer.

The main course of the Eries diet was provided by the hunt and buffalo, deer, elk, moose, bear, beavers, raccoons and muskrats were common game animals. Agriculture was not as well developed as it was during the era of the Mound Builders but small bottomland clearings were used for growing vegetables, especially maize and pumpkins. Small quantities of tobacco were also produced. Berries and other wild delicacies were gathered from the local forests and the nearby streams furnished a good supply of fish and mollusks.36

®6Vietzen, op. c it., pp.162-170. The creeks and brooks of the area were the chief avenues of trans­ portation and because all the more important of them flowed into Lake Erie, most of the tribal settlements were connected by an all-water routeway. The lake provided the Eries with the same kind of unity that some of the interior Indian tribes gained from the Mississippi system.

Although less Important, overland trails were also developed throughout the region. The principal of these, like the major routeways of the Triangle*s modern transportation system, ran in an east-west direction. It followed a narrow wave-built beach which stretched the full length of the Triangle's lake shore. This lakeside thoroughfare was developed as far west as Ohio's Sandusky Bay, where it joined a northward tra il which led into the Detroit region.^ The route l a t e r became known as the "Shore Trail" and was well known to the area's early pioneers. Today, at least within the Triangle, this beach is far from being con­ tinuous and could not even be used for pedestrian traffic. More of it remains west of the city of Erie than east of it. It has recently been suggested that the beach strip be artificially reconstructed as a bed for a major east-west, limited access highway but plans have not gone beyond the talking stage.

Conclusions.-As was true of the Mound Builders, the Eries did lit­ tle to alter the natural landscape of northwestern Pennsylvania. They were primarily hunters and a minimum of land was cleared for agriculture. 83

Farm plots were usually located upon stream floodplains which did not

support much forest vegetation anyway. Most of the villages were built

upon this same alluvial ground which has since been changed many times

over by the floodwaters of the nearby streams. With the exception of those that were used by later residents of the area, the narrow trails

that the Eries had cut accross the interfluves grew over quickly with

vegetation. Their principal overland routeway along the lakeshore beach was little altered by their use of it and storms greatly changed its

nature after their departure. Seldom in the last 350 years has any cul­

tural group ever lived in an area so long and changed it so little .

Iroquois Confederacy

Introduction

For nearly a century and one-half after the disappearance of the

Eries, the eastern section of the southern shore of Lake Erie was vir­

tually a no-man's land. The annihilation of the Eries by the Iroquois

was so complete that during the closing decades of the 17th century and

and the first several decades of the 18th century, the Triangle section

of the Erie lake plain contained practically no Indian population.3®

The Six Nations looked upon the area as part of their great hunting

ground. The Seneca tribe, most powerful member of the Confederacy, had

been the principal opponent of the Eries and by virtue of their victo­

ries in the "Great War," they gained control of the region.^

38 Sylvester K. Stevens, Pennsylvania, Keystone State, New York, 1956, pp.19-20,

39Sipe, op. c it., p.24. 84

Land use

All sedentary Seneca settlements were located south of the Tri­ angle region along the headwaters of the Allegheny River. The area to the north was used only by hunters and travelers and there is no record of the construction of any Indian villages there until well after impor­ tant European penetration.40 Even the Europeans avoided the region.

Although missionaries, traders, explorers and a small number of settlers had moved into the interior to the north and south, Lake Erie was by­ passed and i t became th e l a s t o f th e Great Lakes to become fu lly explored.4^- The French were the first to approach this section of North

America and because of their early fear of the Iroquois, they went around the Seneca-controlled Lake Erie whenever possible and went direct­ ly from Ontario to Huron.4^ When travelers did follow the Erie lake plain, they generally chose the northern shore because it offered more direct access to the French-held upper lakes territory and was farther removed from the domain of hostile Indians. This fact was mentioned in

40Nelson, op. c i t . . p . 95.

41 Sherman Day, History and Antiquities of the State of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, 1843, p.309. 42 Many years earlier, the Frenchman Champlain assisted an Algon­ quin tribe in a battLt against an Iroquois group, causing the Iroquois to nurture considerable hatred toward the French. Later, the French were able to make amends with the Six Nations and particularly with the Senecas who gave them aid during the . 85 the memoirs of an unknown Frenchman who passed through the area in 1718:

The route by the southern is much finer than that along the northern shore. The reason that few persons take it is, that it is thirty leagues longer than along the north.*3

A century elapsed between the destruction of the Eries and the

French and Indian War and, besides the Indians, only explorers and tra­ ders entered the Triangle during the entire period. The area, believed to have once been the dwelling place of thousands of Indians, reverted to the natural landscape. What village sites and scattered farmlands that had been developed by earlier residents became obscuredby new growths of forest. The only indication that the region was not com­ pletely forgotten by man was found in the few trails that were maintained by traveling war and hunting parties(see Fig. 20.).

^WFtPrtsqus Itlt

intout Ft. Le Boeul

Fig. 20. Historic Indian Paths of the Erie Triangle. (Pennsylvania H isto rical and Museun Commission)

Author unknown, "Memoir on the Indians Between Lake Erie and the M ississippi," 1718, Pennsylvania Archives, Second Series, Volume VI, Harrisburg, 1877, p. 49. Indian Trails.-The most important of the trails used during this period was the Lakeshore Path, a remnant of the Eries transportation network. It stretched all the way from what is now Buffalo, New York, to the present vicinity of Conneaut, Ohio. West of Erie the path ran close to the lake, following a narrow sandy beach. Because the lake shore east of the city is rockbound, the path turned inland there, taking a course which is now approximately followed by United States 44 Route 20. Some feel that this pathway may have bifurcated after leaving the lakefront, with one branch following the general location of the present Lakeshore Road—United States Route 5, and the other following the Route 20 location.45 The latter has sometimes been called the TIRidge Road." Whether it was single or double, this lakeside thoroughfare was, for many years, the chief means of communication be­ tween the Six Nations of the east and their allies to the west.4**

Another major tra il was developed as a portage between Lake Erie and the headwaters of the Allegheny River. Its northern terminus was on the Lakeshore Path near the eastern end of Presque Isle Harbor, and the southern end was at French Creek near the present site of Waterford.

This routeway cut the Triangle almost exactly in half and, at its southern end, joined the Venango Trail which stretched all the way to the Pittsburgh region.4?

44 Paul A. W. Wallace, Historic Indian Paths of Pennsylvania. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 1952, p.27.

4®Karl E. Morrison, "Highways of Erie County Followed Old Indian Trails," Erie Dispatch Herald. April 12, 1936.

^Wallace, loc. cit. 47 Ibid.. map attached to back cover. A third important pathway passed just south of the Triangle, cross­ ing what is now the southeastern part of Erie County and going through the present site of Mill Village. It approximated the location of

United States Route 79 and, being closer to the heart of Seneca country, linked numerous Indian villages and campsites.48

In addition to these more prominent routeways there were probably many minor pathways in the region, worn by small Indian parties as they portaged from one stream to the next.49 But none of these was well enough established to be found by later white settlers and so their exact locations are unknown. The wisdom of the Indians in choosing the courses of the area's two major trails is reflected by the fact that both are presently followed, at least in part, by major modem highways.

The north-south path s till represents the region's most important con­ nection with the Pittsburgh environs and, until the construction in 1960 of Interstate Highway number 90, the east-west Lakeshore Path remained the Triangle's chief link with places to the east and west of it.

The Indians built their trails along watersheds or ridges whenever possible in order to take advantage of the good drainage and more open forest that existed upon them. The higher ground also afforded a good vantage area from which to watch for prospective enemies.®0

4®Morrison, loc. c it.

49Ray, op. c it.. p.115,

®°J. E. Wright and D. S. C orbett, Pioneer Life in Western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, 1940, p.175. 88

Conclusions

There was little activity in the Triangle during the nearly 75 years of Iroquois domination and the area served primarily as a hunting ground for tribes to the south. There is no evidence to show that any

Indian settlement was ever made in the region between the demise of the

Eries and the building of the French fort at Presque Isle. Nevertheless, this period marked the real beginning of the shaping of the Triangle's present geographic character in that the situation of the Iroquois trails did influence the location of several of the region's modern roadways.

A frontier land of contested rights, 1753-1794

Introduction

The French construction of a fo rt a t Presque Is le in 1753 marked the end of uncontested Indian domination of the Triangle region and the beginning of the area's wild frontier period. The French, English, several Indian tribes and five states all claimed the area at one time or another during this time span but none did much by way of establish­

ing permanent settlements. It was not until after Pennsylvania gained

full control of the region in 1792 and until after Anthony Wayne erased all final Indian opposition at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1795 that settlers were attracted to the Triangle in important numbers.

Two different geographic landscapes, will be described for this frontier period: (l)M ilitary Outpost, 1753-1763, (2)Indian Frontier, 1763-1794. 89

Military outpost

French supply depot

Introduction.-In the early decades of the eighteenth century, the

British and French were locked in a relatively bloodless commercial contest throughout much of the new world. Although numerous pacts and treaties were made to distinguish the proper control over the Atlantic seaboard and much of the St. Lawrence te rrito ry , very l i t t l e was done to substantiate th e ir separate rig h ts to the Great Lakes and Ohio country.5-*- The latter area was used in common by traders of both na­ tions but did not come under the domination of either. Matters changed greatly when the French, interested in connecting their Mississippi and

St. Lawrence territories, initiated a program intended to secure the land between the two. They sent a p art across Lake Erie and down the

Ohio River with the purpose of establishing official claims to the 52 area. In order to protect these claims, the French decided to build a string of forts at strategic intervals throughout the new territory.

The f i r s t of these was constructed a t Presque Is le 55 and marked the beginning of European control of the Triangle region.

51Day, op. c i t . , p .310.

®^Letter from Marqois De La Jonqulere to Governor Clinton, "August 10, 1751" Pennsylvania Archives. Second Series, Volume VI, Harrisburg, 1877, pp.ll$-117. 53 Fort Presque Isle was not located on the peninsula which bears the same name and is not to be confused with that sandy spit which was some distance removed from the fort. 90

Physical factors affecting the selection of the site of Fort

Presque Isle.-The French, after carefully considering several sites,

established a fort at the present location of Erie in 1753. Celeron,

who led the 1749 exploratory party, had crossed Lake Erie to where

Barcelona, New York, is now situated, portaged to Lake Chautauqua,

sailed to the lake's southern end and then moved into the headwaters of

the Allegheny River and on down through the Ohio system. Later, another

French party was dispatched to the Barcelona vicinity to locate a good

place for the construction of a fort. Not being entirely satisfied with

the situation there, they explored the lake shore farther to the west

and discovered the Triangle's well-protected natural harbor. After some

consideration it was decided that the more westerly location had several

physical advantages over the Barcelona one. Both sites offered adequate

flat land atop wave cut forelands which provided vantage points from

which to watch for the enemy. The glaciolacustrine terraces are broader

at Erie thereby including a much larger stretch of flat hinterland but

it is doubtful that this was an important consideration in that the fort

was built for m ilitary rather than settlement purposes and its projected

entourage was to be quite small. The spacious bay at Presque Isle re­

presented a major advantage in that it afforded far better harbor

facilities than existed at Barcelona. Because neither location was

directly on the headwaters of the Ohio River system the respective por­

tage routes were of prime importance. The one between Presque Isle and 91 French Creek, although longer at 15 miles54 than the 9-mile55 route between Barcelona and Lake Chautauqua, was again better suited physically. For the most part, both portages followed similar stretches of rolling ground moraine but in the Triangle region the ascent from the lake plain to the plateau is much more gradual than at the New York location. The several beach ridges behind Barcelona are extremely steep and even many of the powerful cars of today must climb them in a low gear.56

Duquesne discussed some of the aspects of the two prospective fo rt sites in a letter he wrote in 1753: After my letter was written, Sir, a famous voyageur who has made seven trips on the Belle Riviere (Qhiq) and who is said to be a trustworthy man, haB pictured for me all the risks he foresaw in the Chatacouin (Chautauqua) portage. The approach to it, he says is very, very risky, especially for boats loaded as much as ours will be. They could not be dragged up on shore lik e a bark canoe when wind and waves are beating high up on a shore bordered with rocks, where there are reefs and no shelter. On the map which this voyageur made from memory and gave me, I immediately chose the harbor marked H, ^Erie) which you will notice is thirteen leagues to the west of Chatacouin, formed by a peninsula which makes a secure refuge in all sorts of weather. In addition to the safety which such a good post will give us, it is the place, so I have been assured, where there is the best hunting, fishing, fertile land, immense meadows to feed and raise c a ttle , where Indian corn grows with unequalled abundance so that it need only be sown. It is true that there are eight leagues of portage, but the convenience of having horses there will make up for this dif­ ficulty. ..

5% eed, op. c i t . , p .169.

55This distance was arrived at by measuring the general route of the portage on the Westfield (1898) and Dunkirk (1898) Topographic Quadrangles.

^6Even though the Presque Isle portage was preferred by the French, the Chautauqua route was not completely abandoned. It became important at a later date but because it is outside the Triangle, it will not be discussed further. 92

I was to ld also th a t in th is place th ere are many more resources than at Chatacouin, such as trees suitable for marking pirogues (boats) and for the lumber we shall need how much better it is to establish ourselves preferably at this place which gives us an easy entrace to the Belle Riviere and enable us to avoid a ll the bad passages from the Paille Coupee to the mouth of the Riviere au Boeuf.^

Land use,-After deciding upon the Triangle site a fort was built at the edge of the lower lake bluff, just west of the mouth of Mill

Creek. The position was near the east end of the harbor and overlooked its entrance. For almost a decade the Triangle's various human activi­ ties were centered around the small community which developed about this military outpost.

LAKE Elf/E

PRESQUE tSLE BAY

Fig. 21. The Settlement at Presque Isle In 1753. (Pennsylvania H istorical and Museixn Commission)

During this period the region was little different from when the

Indians controlled it. The area basically remained a forestland as very little land was cleared for agriculture and almost all cultural

57 Duquesne to Contrecoeur, March 23, 1753, "Papiers Contrecoeur et autres documents concemant le conflit anglo-francais sur l'Ohio de 1745 a 1756," Publications des Archives du Seminaire de Quebec, I , Quebec, 1952, pp.28-31. 93 enterprises were confined to the general environs of the fort. The installation was not built so much for defense purposes but as a depot and transshipping point for goods bound from Quebec for distribution among the forts to the south,®® Small vessels carrying supplies of all kinds sailed into the bay daily, marking the beginning of the Triangle's commercial port activities. It was estimated that, during the shipping season, about 12 boats a day arrived from Fort Niagra and other eastern points.®9 The fort was also an important stopping place for interior- bound mercenaries and the traffic for 1753 alone was said to be between 2,000 and 3,000 French and Indians.60

In order to f a c i l i t a t e th e southward movement o f th ese men and supplies, a roadway was constructed between the lakeshore and the head­ waters of the Allegheny. The route followed the portage extension of the Venango Trail which the French improved and widened to approximately

30 feet. Swamps were avoided whenever possible and bridges were built over the many streams along the way. A store was built at the halftray point to receive supplies and provide shelter for tired travelers,6^

®®George Washington, "Journal p f George W ashington," November 30, 1753, (From: John W. Harpster, Pen Pictures in Early Western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, 1938, p.16. The original docunent has been lost and this selection was taken from a 1754 London reprint.) ®9The lake was frozen over during the winter time and shipping came to a halt. In recent years the closed period has averaged 108 days, from December 26 to April 14, and it was probably of a similar length in the 18th century. It is interesting to note that Duquesne suggested supplies be stockpiled during the summer just as iron-ore, salt, stone and limestone are stockpiled in the 20th century. ("Letter from Duquesne to DeVaudrevil," July, 1755, Pennsylvania Archives, Second Series Volume VI, Harrisburg, 1877, pp.253-235^ 60Reed, • f pp«X371 139, 6^F.W, Beers, History of Erie County, Chicago, 1884, p.186. 94 Fort DeBoeuf was built at the southern end of the portage on a small glacial lake just beyond the Triangle's southern boundary. Thousands of packages of provisions were carried over the portage in wagons, on pack horses and on the backs of soldiers and In d ian s.A fter consider­ able use, the trail became so muddy that it was eventually almost completely "corduroyed."®3 This improved the routeway greatly and, although one entourage burdened with heavy cannon took a fu ll 12 days to make the trip from Presque Isle to Le Boeuf,64 generally could be negotiated in about one-half day.^5

During this same period, the old Indian Ridge Trail was used sparingly but some overland contact between Presque Isle and the Barcelona and Buffalo areas was m aintained. The route was a rugged one and its western half was described in 1761 as being "prodigiously a steep, rocky bank all the way except at two or three creeks and small beaches where a few boats may run into s h o r e ,"^6

Because the fort primarily served as a supply depot, the popula­ tion of the settlement at Presque Isle varied considerably during the period of French occupation and ranged from a low of 150 to a high of 2,000. Although some of the food for these numbers was obtained

62Buck, op. c i t . , p .83. 63Kent, op. c i t . , p .5. 6^Reed, op. c it., p.138. 65Reed, op. c it., p.138. 66Kent, op. c i t . , p .6. 7 Hunter, William A., Forts on the Pennsylvania Frontier, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 1966, p.66, 95 locally, much of it had to be imported. The greatest part of the gar­ rison's provisions were brought in from the St. Lawrence Valley but some came all the way from France. At the fort crops of corn, oats, peas and garden stuff were cultivated and a few cattle and hogs were 68 raised. Small fields that had been cleared by former Indian residents were overgrown with wild hay which was used fo r animal feed. Duquesne commented on these meadows in 1755: "At Presque Isle there is the same uniformity of land (as at Le Boeuf) but the hay is very abundant and good on it." ^ Hunting supplemented the diet and the nearby forests abounded in "stags, roe deer, deer, bears, swans, bustards, ducks, geese, turkeys, herons, red-legged partridges, and turtle doves."70

Grist mills powered by H ill Creek waterwheels were built to grind both local and imported grains. Stills were set up to produce liquor and what the local populace didn't consune was sold at one of the lower forts. The water supply for these stills as well as for the domestic needs of the garrison was drawn from wells which were dug near the cen­ tral stockade.71 Several houses were built outside the fort and three

Buck, op. c i t . » p .83. 69 "Letter from Duquesne to DeVaudrevil," lbid»

70Voyage au Canada dans le nord de l'Amerique septentrionale f a i t depuis l'a n 1751 a 1761 par J.C .B ., ed. Henri R. Casgraln. Quebec, 1887, Selection of April £4, 1753.

71Thomas L. Montgomery, F ro n tier Forts of Pennsylvania. Volume 1, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 1916, p .544. 96 outbuildings were put up for the storage of goods in transit. A small brickyard was put into operation to provide building materials for the settlements more substantial structures,72

Indians were attracted to the colony with designs toward trade and they se t up an encampment near the fo rt which grew to approximately

30 families. Their tepees were set up upon the east bank of Millcreek, across the creek from the fort.73 Eventually, almost all the hunting fo r the garrison was done by these Indians and i t became the fulltim e job of about 10 braves.7^ Some were also employed to help carry supplies across the portage and to build boats for use along the waterways.75

A few French traders, using the fort as a base of operations, wandered among the Indians settled along the upper Allegheny and peddled

European merchandise in return for pelts, furs and woodcraft articles.76

Conclusions.-The French made three major contributions to the devel­ opment of the T riangle region. They recognized the importance of

Presque Isle Harbor; built, by frontier standards, a fine road through the heart of the area; and fixed the approximate location of the

Triangle's largest contemporary city, Erie. They did little by way of improving the harbor's facilities but their choice of it as the site of

72Day, op. c i t . , p .311.

73Reed, op. c it., p.170,

74Montgoraery, op. c i t . , p .544. 75 Beers, op. c it., p.192.

76Montgomery, loc. c i t. 97 their chief Lake Erie supply depot showed its importance to others. The portage road was an important thoroughfare during the days of pioneer settlement and partly determined the route of today's modern "Old French Road," State Route 97. Erie's early growth took place near the site of t the original fort and although the center of the cities activities gra­ dually moved southwestward, the choice of the fort's location greatly fixed the position of the city's commercial center which is presently only three blocks to the west of it.

British garrison

Intro d u ctio n .-The B ritish capture of Fort Duquense in 1758 and of

Fort Niagara in 1759 compelled the French to abandon Fort Presque Isle in August of 1759. Although the redcoats had promised the Indians that they would withdraw east of the Allegheny after their victory, they remained and, in fact, reinforced their position. Leading the Indians to believe that it would be used only as a trading post, the British rebuilt the Presque Isle facilities which had been burned by the retreat­ ing French.

Land use.-The Triangle's new residents did not place much impor­ tance upon the Lake Erie installation and little was done to restore the trade and commerce which were so prominent during the tenure of their predecessors. Communication lines to the west and south barely existed and the new fort was practically isolated during most of its short-lived existence. The British were not as adept as dealing with the Indians as were the French and their operations throughout much of their newly 98 gained lands were constantly plagued by Indian uprisings. During most of their residency within the Triangle, the small garrison was too pre­ occupied with Indian problems to ever do much by way of developing the region's resources.

The new fort was constructed upon the same ground used by the French for old Presque Isle. It was situated upon a hill, later known as Garrison Point, which overlooked the bay to the north and Mill Creek to the east. The installation centered around a large stockade which contained a two-story blockhouse, several log houses and a stone maga­ zine. Sheds were constructed beyond its confines for use as storage bins and animal barns.77 It is probable that a grist mill and distillery were built along the lower reaches of Mill Creek but no official record of such an undertaking could be found.

The population of the settlement never approached the great numbers of the French period of occupation. At the time of its destruc­ tion by Pontiac in 1763, it included only about 29 persons.7^ The food supply, primarily imported was supplemented by the produce of a nearby garden plot and by the spoils of the forest hinterland. A small herd of cattle was grazed on the peninsula's open meadows and several buil­ dings were put up there to shelter the animals during stormy weather.

In connection with the same operation, a blockhouse was constructed on the narrow neck of the sandy spit to keep the Indians away.

77 Reed, op. c it., p.174.

78I b id ., p. 179. 99 Conclusions.-Because of the failure of the British to comply with earlier agreements to withdraw from the Ohio River-Great Lakes territory, the Indians launched a frontier war and vowed to drive them into the

sea. The situation reached its worst point during Pontiac's conspiracy when Fort Presque Isle, as well as several other forts, was completely destroyed.79

During the remainder of their tenure in the New World the British

never attempted to rebuild the fort or to attract settlers to northwest­

ern Pennsylvania. Rather than restore the small frontier outposts,

they chose to strengthen several of the larger ones in order to central­

ize more completely their control over the northern trans-Appalachian

country.80 The Triangle, as happened after the demise of the Eries,

once again resumed its primitive nature.

Indian frontierland

British authority

After the British were vanquished at Presque Isle the Triangle

became a no-man's land as far as white settlement was concerned and

stood nearly empty of human activity for over thirty years.

Several small Indian communities developed during this era but

little is known of the extent to which they altered the region's

79Nelson, op. c it., p.16.

8Pittsburgh and Detroit were most important among these. 100

geographical environment. Settlements including from 20 to 30 families are believed to have existed at the point where the peninsula joins the mainland and at a point several miles from the mouth of Mill Creek near the present site of Glenwood Park.8^ The former group planted a rela­ tively large cornfield in an opening located about one mile south of

their village, near the edge of the lowermost beach ridge.8^

American authority

The new American nation officially assumaJcontrol of the area in

1783 but the first years of their authority saw little change in the

status of the region. Indians still roamed along the southern shore of

Lake Erie, claiming full hunting and passage rights and killing all

intruders.83 This dangerous situation was largely a result of the fact

that the Triangle did not fall under the jurisdiction of a single one

of the new American states. Because of a series of inconsistencies and

ommissions in the wording of documents which established the boundaries

of the surrounding states, the region did not fall within the territory

of any of them. A contest for the control of the area ensued among

New York, , , Virginia and Pennsylvania. It was

during the course of this controversy that the exact limits of the

Triangle were first defined. The Pennsylvania State Assembly Proceedings,

September 13, 1788 described the region as follows:

8^Beers, op. c it., p.183. 82 A Guide to the C ity and County, op. c i t . , p .48.

83Reed, op. c it., p.211. 101

A triangular piece or tract of country, situate, ly in g , and being on Lake E rie, bounded on the e a st by a meridian line, part of the western boundary of the State of New York; on the south by part of the northern boundary of the State of Pennsylvania; being a continu­ ation of the line between this state and that of New York, from the western boundary of the said state till it intersects the said lake, including Presque Isle, and running northeasterly, or as the margin of said lake runs, according to the several courses thereof (with all benefit property and advantages of the coast, bays, lake, which is the boundary of the country described, or intended so to be), till it meets the same meridian line before mentioned.

The dispute culminated in 1788 and Pennsylvania purchased the region from the Federal Government. Their winning argument was solidly based upon geographical principle. The state, although the richest in the new nation, did not have a harbor on the Great Lakes. The little more than 4 miles of lakeshore they previously owned was harborless and it was felt that a lake port was indispensible to the healthy growth of the state and particularly of the booming Pittsburgh area.

After the purchase was consummated, the state turned to the res­ ponsibility of preparing the area for settlement. The Indians were completely divested of their rights to the Triangle region through a

series of purchases and military skirmishes. The frontier era was finished and a more active period of human development was begun. CHAPTER III

PIONEER PERIOD; 1795-1828

S ettin g

The beginning of Pennsylvania's control of the Triangle marked the real start of non-Indian settlement in the region. The French and

English had been in the area earlier but their objectives were military in nature and hardly directed toward community development. Common­ wealth officials realized the importance of a lake port in the development of Pennsylvania's western lands and, soon after assuming control of the lakeshore region, initiated a survey of the area.^

Andrew Ellicott, one of the original planners of Washington, D.C., was employed to lay out the city of Erie and his work was completed in 1795.

A year earlier Ellicott had emphasized the need for developing Presque

Isle when he reported to the governor; "An establishment at Presque Isle must, from its favorable situation, put in our power, at any time, to change a frontier of savages, of 300 miles in length, for one of promise and safety,"2

^Stevenson W. Fletcher, Pennsylvania Agriculture and Country Life, 1640-1840, Harrisburg, 1950, p.6.

2Andrew Ellicott, "Report of Ellicott to Governor Mifflin, December 30, 1794," Pennsylvania Archives, Second S eries, Vol. VI, p .796.

102 103

Colonizing companies purchased much of the Triangle's territory and properties were put up for sale. Other parts of the region were

held by the state government and offered to Pennsylvania Revolutionary War veterans as payment for their services. People came in from the east in great numbers and the pioneer phase of the Triangle's history began. New roads were constructed and settlements were established along their routes; many acres of the forest that had remained nearly undis­ turbed for centuries were cleared for farming; small piers were built along the bay shore to handle a growing commercial trade; and saw m ills, grist mills, and distilleries were put up along the larger streams. The landscape of the region was more greatly changed in the first 30 years of white residence than during the entire three or four centuries of Indian tenure. Pioneer Period was short lived and the early residents of the Triangle were never exposed to the frontier conditions that might have been expected to exist in an area that had previously been somewhat outside the realm of important European and American influence. This can be attributed to the following factors: (l)Political and military controls were well established in the region prior to the major wave of pioneer settlement which occurred between 1810 and 1830. County author­ ity was organized only ten years after the first settler entered the Triangle and Erie was designated as the seat of government. (2)The area was one of the last to be settled in western Pennsylvania and its first citizens benefitted from Pittsburgh's more advanced stage of devel* opment. Goods and people moved across the lake and through the region on the way to the rapidly growing industrial center and the income derived from this trade supplied the Triangle with monies that were

essential to the early development of agriculture and industry. (3)There were no important Indian villages along the lake shore for over 100

years prior to white settlement and the lagging claims and animosities

that plagued many other areas were virtually non-existent in the Triangle.

(4)The region's physical environment did not pose great problems to settlers and offered many advantages. The lake afforded good water con­ nections with Buffalo and Cleveland and the lakeshore residents never

experienced the long periods of isolation that were endured by many

inland dwellers. Ten streams with a regular and substantial discharge crossed the Triangle at approximately every two miles and provided both

a good water supply and a source of power. The area's generally level

land was conducive to cultivation and presented few major physical obstacles to internal transportation development. Raw materials for construction of buildings, boats and cordnroy roads were provided by the heavy forest.C5)National attention was focused upon the region's harbor

as a result of Perry's success in the War of 1812 using naval craft built there. Shortly after the close of the conflict, the United

States government assumed a great deal of responsibility for improving the port facilities.

During this period the major portion of the Triangle's economic activities were of a commercial nature. Almost every aspect of the

region's geographical character was related in some degree to either 105 the salt trade or shipbuilding. These enterprises sparked the beginning of a trade era which remained of prime importance in the area for more than 60 years.

S a lt trad e

Introduction

With the turn of the century settlers poured across the mountains into the trans-Appalachian country. The new nation had gained control of the continent as far inland as the Mississippi and Wayne's victory at Fallen Timbers greatly alleviated fears of Indian intervention.® The growing populations of urban centers such as Pittsburgh and Louisville provided rich markets for frontier farmers and the territory became a boomland of agriculture. A great need arose for salt with which to preserve and season meats. At first this valuable mineral was brought in from the east and carried over the mountains by wagon or pack mule but as the demand for it increased, more local deposits and less expen­ sive means of procurement were sought. A strike was made near Salinas,

New York and, although not much closer than the older sources, the new supply was more accessib le by w ater and th erefo re delivered more cheap- 4 ly. It was, in fact, sold in Pittsburgh for approximately one-half the price charged for salt that had to be carried over the Appalachian

®As a result of Wayne's decisive victory over the Indians in this northwestern Ohio battle, a lasting peace treaty was finally consummated with the western tribes. The agreement was signed at Greenville, Ohio, in 1795. ^Salinas is located near Syracuse, New York. 106

"salt trails." The overland routeways quickly lost importance and most of them were completely abandoned.5

The triangle’s position in the salt trade

Because of its fine harbor and French-developed connections with the lower western Pennsylvania area, Erie became a major link in the new trade route. The salt was shipped from Salinas to Oswego by oxcart where it was loaded onto boats and carried to Fort Niagara, near the mouth of the . It was again put into carts and pulled by teams to Buffalo and, for the second time, loaded onto boats to be car­ ried to Erie.6 At Erie, the vessels landed near the mouth of Mill Creek and their cargoes were either unloaded directly into oxcarts for immediate removal to points south or placed in warehouses to await a later shipping date. Some of the salt was sold within the Triangle but most of it was transported overland, along the French Road, to Waterford and finally put onto flat boats for carriage into the Pittsburgh and southern market areas. Occasionally, small quantities were carried as far as Louisville, New Orleans and R ic h m o n d .^ A slight change took place in the local portion of the routeway when, in 1809, the Erie-

Waterford Turnpike was opened. The new road had several advantages over

\aura G. Sanford, The History of Erie County, Pennsylvania, Erie, 1894, p.109.

6Sherman Day, History and Antiquities of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1843, p. 86.

7John Kelly, "Wrecking of Mansion Recalls Life of W. L. Scott," Erie Daily Times. Erie, January S, 1934. 107 the one built by the French and it became the region's principal salt throughway. It followed a less direct route but was built upon higher ground and provided a much more solid and dependable traveling surface.

Ox-team pulling capacities were increased five-fold and transportation costs were greatly reduced.®

The rather crude means of transport and numerous breaking points involved in this trade are shown by the fact that the total trip from

Salinas to Pittsburgh, a distance of approximately 400 miles, took from four to six months. Freight rates represented about 75 percent of the value of the salt marketed in Pittsburgh.9 The high cost of the

Triangle's overland link and the relative cheapness of those sections over water are well illustrated by these data: lake-boat carriage from

Buffalo to Erie, a distance of approximately 90 miles, was priced at

$.875 per barrel; oxcart transportation between Erie and Waterford, a trip of 15 miles, was made at a cost of $1.50 per barrel;*0 and flatboat charges for the final 120 miles to Pittsburgh were placed at $1.00 per b a r r e l.n

This new trade became a propelling force in the early growth of

Erie and of the whole central Triangle region. When the first salt

8Sanford, op. c it., p.108.

9These figures were reported as being quoted directly from Erie Customs Records which have since been lost. Sidney Bigger, "Salt Was Propelling Force in Erie's Early Growth as a City," Erie Dispatch, March 14, 1943.

*°John Nolen, Greater Erie, Erie, 1913, p. 161.

**Paul L. G latzert and John H. Leamy, Looking a t Our Community, Erie, 1952, p.90. SALT TRADE

fiK£ ONTARIO OSWEGO

FORT NIAGARA SAUNAS

BUFFALO NEW YORK

fERIE

:u f

OHIO PENNSYLVANIA

.PITTSBURGH

TO POINTS EAST

TO LOUISVILLE, NEW ORLEANS

VIRGINIA

OX CARr v LAKE BOAT

C 3 FL AT BOAT O 70 hO 00 F ig. 22. U i . I Miles 109 began to arrive, it was received at a village which had attracted its first American settlers only a decade earlier and which had a population of but several hundred persons. This nunber swelled quickly and so did the incoming salt tonnage. Men were needed to unload the boats and teams and drivers were necessary to transport the valuable mineral to

Waterford. Between 1805 and 1819, the hauling of salt was the most pro­ fitable industry in the Triangle. In 1808, an estimated 6,000 barrels were registered at the Erie Customs House and by 1811, the total grew to 18,000.12 I t was estim ated th a t more than 100 ox-teams traveled the road between Erie and Waterford during most of the salt era. The fif­ teen mile trip across the Triangle took an average of three days and farmers earned $1,50 a barrel for their part in the movement.13 Profits were also made at the docks where a shipping charge of $.875 per barrel was assessed upon unloading with an additional $.125 being added for any b a rre ls th a t had to be stored in Erie warehouses.14 The income was so good that many local residents paid for their homes and new farmlands with wages earned as stevedores and team drivers. Salt was used as the area*s major medium of exchange and was often used to buy oxen, horses,

12Bigger, lo c. c i t .

13Nolen, loc. cit.

14Isaac Brown, Early Footprints of Developments and Improvements in Northwestern Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. 1905. p.75. 110

land, household goods and food.^ This availability of capital also

stimulated a sizable "up river" trade and quantities of iron, glass, whiskey, flour and bacon were imported from the Pittsburgh region.

These items were carried up the Allegheny River and its French Creek tributary by keel boats and unloaded at Waterford. From there the goods were brought into the Triangle by returning salt porters and either sold

to local consumers or trans-shipped to other lakeports.Flour was

Erie's most important Great Lakes export and several thousand barrels were sent up the lakes during this period, particularly to Detroit and Mackinaw.^

Decline of Erie salt trade

Because of the importance and high cost of salt, residents of the

Ohio River country continually searched for closer deposits and finally

made a solid strike in 1813. Wells were sunk along the Kanawha and

Kiskiminitas rivers and because of their greater proximity and all-water

accessibility to the Pittsburgh area, their owners were able to capture

most of the salt business there. The trade income which was so vital to

the Triangle's prosperity began to dwindle. In 1819, additional supplies

were discovered in Pennsylvania's Westmoreland and Indiana counties and

salt importation from Salinas was completely abandoned. The Triangle

1SNolen, loc. cit.

16G latzert, lo c. c i t . 17 David Thomas, Travels Through the Western Country in 1816, Auburn, New York, 1819, excerpts of May 29 and May 30. I l l region lost its most important economic asset but the adequacy of its fine harbor, port and hinterland facilities had been proven.

Shipbuilding and lake Commerce

During the early decades of the 19th century the Triangle's shore­ line was the busiest shipbuilding area on Lake Erie and the waterfront became the focus of pioneer settlement. The region had several geograph­ ical advantages in developing this new industry: (l)a central position on the Lake's southern and busiest shore; (2)the spacious and well- protected Fresque-Isle Harbor which for the greatest part was bordered by a narrow strip of beach that facilitated construction work near water level; (3)wide beaches and califc-water estuaries at the mouthes of Walnut,

Elk, Four and Sixteen Mile Creeks; (4)a heavily forested hinterland from which raw materials could be taken; (5)the labor supply of the largest

settlement on Lake Erie;18 and (6)a location at the head of the well-

established "French Portage Route," one of the principal gateways to the rapidly growing Ohio River country.

Although many kinds of ships were launched during the Pioneer

Period, most of them were built for the salt trade, passenger service or m ilitary p u r p o s e s .T h e vessels, prim arily wooden, were b u ilt almost

completely with local raw materials. Metal components were manufactured

in the Pittsburgh area and brought northward via keelboat by returning

18 Sanford, op. c it., p.124. 19 -‘-'Beers, op. c it.. p. 513. 1 1 2

salt carriers.20 These first boats were quite small and in 1820, at the height of the "schooner era," the Lake Erie fleet included about 30 ships with an average of only 50 tons.21 Had the vessels been much larger they would not have been able to enter or leave Presque Isle Harbor and

Erie1s early shipbuilding and commercial growth would have been less rapid. The harbor entrance, almost a mile wide, was crossed by a broad

sandbar and the channel was both shallow and circuitous. In places the water was as little as six feet deep.22 Because of this, there were

several years during the latter part of the period when some of the more

sizable boats could not enter the harbor. Their cargoes had to be unload­

ed outside the bay to the east of Garrison Hill. The water in this area is quite calm, however, as it lies to the southeast of the wide, well-treed eastern tip of Presque Isle Peninsula which tempers the

"prevailing" westerlies, keeping wave heights at a m i n i m u m . 23 jn 1824, the bay's entryway was deepened to seven and one-half feet, enabling most large ships to enter.2^ By 1825, the year the opened,

2Pennsylvania Federation of Historical Societies, Pennsylvania Cavalcade, Philadelphia, 1942, p.121.

21Sanford, op. c it.« p.129.

22Max Rosenberg, The Building of Perry's Fleet on Lake Erie, 1812-13, Harrisburg, 1900, p.12.

230ne-Hundred years later a prominent national planner suggested that the city of Erie develop an outer harbor in this same general vicinity (John Nolen, Greater Erie, Erie, 1914, p.19). During a perso­ nal interview held in 1961, Mr. William Mitchell, a local boatsman who had crossed the area hundreds of times, revealed that the character of the water surface in this sector is similar to that within the bay on "nine out of ten occasions." 24 Reed, op. c it., pp.277-278. 113 three steamboats and from two to ten schooners entered and cleared Erie harbor each week. Because coal could not yet be obtained in large quan­ tities, steamers used wood for fuel and the region became a prime supplier, giving employment to a large number of men and teams.25 Throughout this era, with the exception of the days of the War of 1812, the Lake Erie merchant fleet was closely tied to the salt trade which provided the chief cargo of the majority of the ships plying the lake.25 A few schooners carried furs from the upper lakes to Buffalo but these either by-passed the Triangle's harbor or just put in briefly for supplies. Passenger traffic from Buffalo was increasing but the real surge did not begin until after the opening of the Erie Canal.

Geographic factors affecting the building of Perry's fleet The s tra te g ic lo c atio n and fin e nature o f Presque I s le Bay was shown during th e War o f 1812 when i t was chosen as th e sh ip b u ild in g s ite for a fleet to be used in battle against the British.27 This project was not only important to the general welfare of the nation but repre­ sented the Triangle's greatest shipbuilding endeavor and contributed immensely to the development of the region's commercial facilities. The Erie site had a number of natural advantages which helped insure the

25 Beers, op, cits, p.273,

26Ib id .

2Cleveland and Buffalo were also considered as possible building sites but Erie was finally chosen because of the natural advantages of its harbor, its slightly larger labor force and its superior overland connections with Pittsburgh. (Samuel P. Orth, History of Cleveland, Cleveland, 1910, p.112), 114 success of Perry's Lake Erie naval mission: (l)The harbor entrance was too shallow for large vessels and as a result British war ships, although in the region, were unable to enter the harbor and disrupt construction.28

(2)The bay, which is completely landlocked except for the entry channel, is quite spacious and th e building s ite was fa r enough removed from the lake proper to protect the building activities from cannon bombardment.29

(3)During the hard winter freeze of 1812-13 Presque Isle Bay and almost all of Lake Erie were frozen over, forming a protective "wall" of ice between the British fleet, which was moored near the lake's western end, and the incompleted American ships. (4)The protected section of the lake to the southeast of the peninsula's eastern end, provided relative­ ly calm water in which the final outfitting of the fleet could take place. Because of the shallow channel, the ships could not be finished inside the harbor so they were eased through the entryway on pontoons while s t i l l but empty h u lls .

The building of this fleet improved the technical level of Erie craftsmen and resulted in a great deal of interest in the area on the part of the federal government. Attention had been drawn to the unim­ proved channel and government funds were soon appropriated for its deepening. The harbor was the first on the Great Lakes to be surveyed by the United States Corps of Engineers.30 jn addition, a United States

28Reed, op. c it.t p.342.

2^The ships were built near the mouths of Lees Run and Cascade Creek, the former about two miles from the nearest deep lake water and the latter about three miles away.

30Parsons, Brinckerhoff, H all and McDonald, o p .c i t ., p .5. VI ERIE LAKE 0 * sunk for the purpose of preservation ERIE towed through the shallow channel LAKE D D Blockhouse overlookingE Misery the Bay where, harbor in entrance 1?1=, the "Lawrence,” "Niagra," D etroit," and "Queen Charlotte" were C C Outfitting site where the final rigging was added to the ships after their hulls were A-B A-B Hull building sites at the mouths of Cascade Creek and Lee's Run Fig. 23. Erie at the Time of the Building of Perry'e I«ke Erie Naval F leet. 116

In addition, a United States Navy yard was established on the bay front between Sassafras and Cascade Streets.31

Population

Growth and composition

The population of the Triangle increased considerably during the

Pioneer Period as Erie County’s resident total grew from less than 10 in 1790 to 17,041 by 1830. Growth was gradual between 1790 and 1800, declined a little in the next ten years, then increased many fold between

1810 and 1830.32 Several intra-regional factors contributed to the latter surge: the salt trade income reached its peak between 1810 and 33 1820; the Lake Erie naval fleet was built during these years; and an extensive roadway system, which took several decades to develop, began to take shape, encouraging settlement of interior agricultural la n d .34 The slow beginning was larg e ly caused by land ownership prob­ lems. There were numerous differences among population companies, squatters and government agents so many settlers preferred to go farther west to claim uncontested government lands.33

31Pennsylvania Cavalcade, op. c it., p.121.

32United States Bureau of Census, Population of the United States, 1790, 1800, 1810, 1820 and 1830. Washington.

33Sidney Bigger, loc. c it.

^S“he Waterford Turnpike, the region's most important road during the period, opened in 1809.

33Nelson, op. c it., p.114. 1X7 The majority of these first settlers came from New England, New York, New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania.3^

Routes of travel

Transportation facilities were generally not well developed west of the Piedmont and the Triangle's early settlers approached the region along very roundabout routes. Whenever possible, waterways were used and dozens of portages would be made between the Atlantic coast and the

Erie area. One of the most popular routeways into the Triangle led across southern New York State along the Finger Lakes, onto the head­ waters of the Allegheny River system and finally up French, Oil or

Brokenstraw creeks. People following this route were primarily from

New England and particularly Connecticut.37

Pennsylvania and New Jersey immigrants proceeded along a course which is approximately followed at present by the "Lakes to Sea" high­ way. They went up the Susquehanna, crossed the Appalachian divide near

Bald Mountain and then approached the region overland from the south­ east.38 Others from the same area followed the Kittaning Trail, which ran along the Juniata River and its Frankstown branch through the

36 Isaac Moorhead, "E rie County," H istory of th e Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. William H. Egle, (ed.), Philadelphia, 1883, p.704.

37Ray, op. c it., pp.76-77.

38J. E. Wright and D. S. Corbett, Pioneer Life in Western Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh, 1940, p.177, 118

Kittaning Gap and then turned northwestward toward Erie.39 The few settlers that came from Maryland, Virginia and extreme southeastern

Pennsylvania generally traversed the mountains along either Forbes or National Roads. They crossed to the Pittsburgh region and then moved S on northward, either overland or by boat, into the lakeshorea r e a . 40

Later in the period, migration from these southeastern areas was greatly stimulated by the completion of the State Turnpike which connected Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and was finished in 1818.41

Some eastern pioneers sailed across Lakes Ontario and Erie from

Oswego but this route did not become important until after the opening of the Erie Canal.

Internal transportation facilities

More new road mileage was added to the Triangle's transportation network during the first quarter of the nineteenth century than in any comparable time period before or since. When the first American set­ tlers arrived in 1795, there was but one 15 mile stretch of road in the entire region and it was in very poor r e p a i r . 43 This represented an average of .047 miles for every square mile of territory. At the close

^Herbert E. Stover, Pennsylvania, New York, 1945, p. 152.

4 ° R a y , loc. c i t .

4 - ^ L e la n d D. Baldwin, Pittsburgh, the Story of a City. Pittsburgh, 1937, pp.184-86.

^Wright and Corbett, op. c it., p. 190.

^The old French military road which had not been extensively used fo r over 40 years. Fig. 24. Extent of Primary Road Development, 1795, 1819, 1960.

1795

(After Pennsylvania Historical and Museun Conmlsslon)

(After Office of the Surveyor General, State of Pennsylvania)

(After Erie County Planning Commission) 120 of the frontier period in 1828, there were approximately 225 miles of roadway, a considerably higher average of .712 miles per square mile.44

This great expansion of the Triangle's highways was primarily sponsored by the several population companies which controlled the rights to most of the region’s area.45 As an inducement toward settle­ ment, p ro p erties were made more accessible to the v illag e s th a t had sprung up along the lake shore and particularly to the new county seat,

Erie. The general locations of all of the following modem routeways were established during this early period: United States Route 20; State

Routes 5, 8, 19, 89, 97 and 99; and Station and Grubb Roads.46 The situation of these highways remains as northwestern Pennsylvania's most obvious inheritance from the pioneer era.

Industry

Most of the region's early industries were either engaged in processing agricultural products or in preparing forest timber for con­

struction purposes. Grist and flour mills were the first to be put

44This mileage was obtained by measuring the total length of the Triangle’s roadways as shown on: J. E. Whiteside, "Map H," 1818. This was one of a series of maps made of northwestern Pennsylvania for the state office of the Surveyor General. The original could not be located but a copy was found in: I. B. Brown, Early Footprints of Developments and Improvements in Northwestern Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, 1905.

4®Sanford, op. c it., pp.107-108.

4^The identification of these routes was established by comparing Whiteside's map with the Erie County Planning Commission's 1960 Highway Map of Erie County. 1 2 1 into operation but before the period was over, increasing herds of livestock provided raw materials which stimulated the development of woolen factories and leather tanneries. The latter were particularly important and during this frontier era there were more tanneries located in western Pennsylvania than anywhere else in the nation.47 These establishments used local hides and large quantities of hemlock bark which was brought in from the southeastern sector of the Triangle.

D istilleries were also very numerous48 as it was more desirable to mar­ ket grains "by the barrel" during those days when transportation of bulky produce was problematical.49 Saw, planing, carding and folding mills were established near the area's villages to furnish lumber for the building of ships, houses, barns and wagons.50 Several brickyards, taking advantage of the local lacustrine clays, were put up in Erie and the region's first foundry was built near the present site of North E a s t.5^ Because most of these industries, built to satisfy a very local market, were not large, their distribution throughout the Triangle was widespread. They were located along all of the region's important streams with the major concentration being within several miles of the lake shore.

47 Riesenman, op. c it., p.8.

48Benjamin Whitman and Nathaniel Russel, History of Erie County, Pennsylvania, Chicago. 1884, p.263.

49A pack horse could carry an average of only four bushels of grain but could bear the whiskey made from 24 bushels (Corbett, op. c it., p,39). 50Whitman and R ussel, op. c i t . , p p .613-14.

slRay, op. c it., p.29, 1 2 2

If there was such a thing as an "industrial center" during the Pioneer

Period, it was located along the lower reaches of Mill Creek which had over a dozen manufacturing establishments situated along its banks.

Agriculture

During the Pioneer Period agriculture was primarily of the subsis­ tence variety. The average farmer worked a 40 to 50 acre farm, which he had cleared himself, and seldom raised mtze than was necessary to supply his own needs. Chief crops were maize, wheat, rye, flax and potatoes. Small garden patches were cultivated near the main cabin where a variety of vegetables were produced: pumpkins, squash, beans and cabbage. If it could be afforded, a cow was kept, usually in a shed which was attach ed to the cabin; few farms had bam s or haymows.

The diet was supplemented by hunting and fishing which were parti­ cularly important during the winter season. There was no commercial fishing during this era and most fish were caught by hook and line either in the bay or along the lower stretches of the lakebound streams.53

Conclusions

Although the population of the Triangle grew rapidly during the

Pioneer Period, the area had very little unity and was probably less of a single cultural geographical region than during any other general period of settlement. Communities were well scattered and they grew

^Corbett, op. c it., p.65 53 Nelson, op. cit.. p.89. nearly in isolation of one another. Several factors can be offered in explanation of this. (l)The road system that was developed during the period was so extensive that its proper maintenance was impossible.

With the exception of the Waterford Pike, the roadways were poorly kept and numerous mudholes and fallen trees blocked their ways, discouraging travel over them. (2)Each of the communities was relatively self suffi­ cient with its own church, saw and grist mills. Goods to be processed were too bulky to carry very far and because the lake shore was "conven­ iently" crossed every few miles by swift streams, mills were numerous and never very far from any given farm. (3)Agriculture was primarily of a subsistence variety and there were few surpluses to be sold in the larger urban centers. A market potential existed in the city of Erie where the commercial and industrial classes were steadily growing but, because of a favorable trade location, these groups were able to purchase many of their needs from merchants passing through the area from both the north and south. (4)The Triangle did not have a single dominating city to draw the people culturally and economically together. Even though Erie was the la rg e st community a t the tim e, sizab le v illag e s had grown a t Elk

Creek, Manchaster, Colt Station, North East and Wattsburg. The parti­ cular importance of the Elk Creek settlement was shown several decades later when it was given serious consideration as the northern terminus of the Erie Extension Canal. Millcreek, North East and Fairview town­ ships in fact all had more people at this time than did Erie.55 124

5)The system of land allocation within the region was very complex and many real estate enterprises were working in diverse directions. More unity might have existed if the area had experienced a more common system of land disposal such as prevailed in the Western Reserve,

Connecticut Fire Lands or, much later, in the Homestead Land distribution.

Despite this lack of real regional identity, three major charac­ teristics of the Triangle's Twentieth Century geographical nature began to take shape during the Pioneer Period. (l)Erie emerged as one of the leading commercial ports on Lake Erie. Throughout the previous century, the importance of the settlement was almost exclusively of a military nature and it was not until after the War of 1812 that it began to assume importance as a commercial trade center. The salt trade was probably most responsible for this change. (2)Although not in the dominant posi­ tion it enjoys today, the city of Erie gained the position of leadership within the Triangle. It was made the county seat in 1805, was the major commercial center along the entire southern lake shore, chief industrial place of the region and focus of almost all the newly built roadways.

(3)The positions of the majority of the region's present-day highways were determined during this period as hundreds of miles of crude road­ ways were surveyed and cut out of the thick forest. CHAPTER IV

CANAL PERIOD: 1828-1860

S ettin g

With the final vestiges of British control removed and Indian hazards almost eliminated, settlers migrated by the thousands into western Pennsylvania and the midwest beyond. Many of these immigrants followed old established overland trails and traveled the whole way to th e ir d e stin a tio n s by wagon tr a in . The Cumberland, Forbes, K ittaning and Lake Erie Ridge roads all became busy thoroughfares during this period. Because of its relative cheapness, however, water transport was more desirable and utilized whenever possible. Three important canals were put into use in the early part of the Nineteenth Century, greatly affecting the growth and character of the Erie Triangle and bringing the Atlantic Seaboard and trans-Appalachian country closer together than

ever before. These were the Erie Canal (later called the New York State

Barge Canal) opened in 1825, the , dedicated in 1829 and

the Erie Extension Canal (generally called the Beaver Canal), put into

use in 1844.

The opening of the Erie Canal was probably the single most impor­

tant occasion in the first century of western Pennsylvania settlement.

Connecting the Hudson River system with Lakes Ontario and Erie, the

125 126 canal made it possible to pass through the rugged Appalachian barrier with relative ease. The all-water trip from New York to Erie required an average time of only two weeks and transport costs were approximately one-half those incurred on overland trip s,1 Because of these factors the canal quickly became the number one route to the interior and for the first 40 years of its operation, it was the busiest waterway of its kind in the world. Three years after the opening of the Erie, the Welland

Canal was completed, ascending the by a system of locks and connecting Lakes Erie and Ontario with a navigable waterway.

This made it possible for shipping from the St. Lawrence River, Lake

Ontario and the Oswego branch of the Erie Canal to continue into Lake

Erie without portage, giving trade along the Erie shore even further stim ulus.

Much of the commercial importance lost with the passing of the salt trade was regained as the Triangle's harbor became a major recipient of this growing traffic. People and goods landed at Presque Isle and then traveled along the region’s roads into southwestern Pennsylvania and onto the upper tributaries of the Allegheny River. The hotel busi­ ness flourished, local teamsters profited from helping people carry their goods over the portage and merchants in Erie and along the Water­ ford trails had a lucrative trade. Later in the period, the opening

^"Stevenson Fletcher, Pennsylvania Agriculture and Country Life, 1640-1840, Harrisburg, 1950, p,26!>. 127 of the Erie Extension Canal made the Pennsylvania "frontier gateway" even more a ttra c tiv e and business boomed, Although population growth and economic activity within the region were considerably accelerated by the traffic from the Erie and Welland Canals, the geography of the area was altered to a much greater extent by this latter waterway. The new canal also gave the Triangle its first real measure of regional unity as nearly all the residents of the area were affected by its ope­ ra tio n .

Pennsylvania Canal

After the opening of the Erie Canal, New York, at the gateway to this singular all-water route to the interior, gained a commercial advantage over other major eastern cities. Philadelphia's businessmen were envious of New York's situation and in an attempt to get their fair share of th e growing f ro n tie r tra d e , an alm ost fa n ta s tic scheme was drawn up for building a canal across the Appalachians. Their action may have been partly encouraged by an editorial in the Erie Gazette which s ta te d :

What an important point this would be if Pennsylvania would do her duty! (build a canal to compete with New York's) This unexampled increase of travel and business (in the Erie area) owes its existence entirely to the New York can al....If Pennsylvania is waiting for examples, she w ill soon have more of it than she wants in contras­ ting Philadelphia with New York.

Actual construction on the Pennsylvania artery began in 1826 and the canal was completed as far as Pittsburgh in 1834.

2"An Editorial," Erie Gazette. July, 1826, 128

Erie Extension Canal Even though the Pennsylvania Canal was completed to Pittsburgh in relatively short order, it took ten additional years to get an extension to Lake Erie. Several reasons can be given for this delay: (l)The state was primarily concerned with funnelling traffic into the east and didn't think the Erie Extension would help much.3 They felt that most traffic using the extension would be western bound and that people and cargo that were moving toward the east, might, if a Lake Erie link existed, go northward, away from Philadelphia and possibly even into New York via the Erie Canal. (2)Many of the canals of the time were built and ope­ rated at financial losses and investment money was hard to s e c u r e . ^

Investors were particularly leery of the Erie Extension because of the high divide which had to be overcome in its construction. Its highest point was 510 feet above the lake, more than one-third as high as the Portage Railroad on the Pennsylvania Canal, over which boats had to be transported on inclined planes.3 (3)Finally» there was a controversy as to where the extension should be most advantageously located. The original route which was proposed in 1826, at the time the plans were first drawn up for the complete canal, was labeled the "eastern route" and was to proceed up the Allegheny River, into French Creek and thence to Erie. During the time it took to build the waterway as far as

3"01d Erie Canal," Department of Internal Affairs Monthly Bulletin, Vol. 17, No. 2 (1949), Harrisburg, p.5.

^Carter Goodrich, Julius Rubin, Jerome Cranmer and Harvey Segal, Canals and American Economic Development. New York, 1961, p .244.

D illa r d R. Rhoads, "The Pennsylvania C anal," The Western Pennsylvania Historical Magazine. Vol.43, No. 3 (I960), p.229. 129

Pittsburgh, other interests, particularly groups from northeastern Ohio, tried to convince builders that the northern section should follow a more westerly route. Because of its less rugged topography and greater stream mileage, the "western route" was chosen and the canal followed the Ohio, Beaver and Shenango Rivers into northwestern Pennsylvania.6 As a result of this change in location, another dispute arose as to whether the northern terminus should be at Presque Isle near the center of the Triangle*8 lake shore or somewhere near the region's western end. The mouth of Elk Creek, an area which was considerably more deve­ loped than it is today, was suggested as an alternative terminus.7 It was argued that it would be cheaper to construct a breakwall at Elk

Creek than to build the canal all the way to Erie, particularly since the section between Elk Creek and Erie would require two high aqueducts. However, because of its greater natural advantages, larger size and stronger influence upon the state legislature, Erie was chosen as the northern terminal.®

The Beaver Canal was finally completed in 1844. It measured 105 1/2 miles in length, averaged 40 feet in width and there were 930 fe e t of ris e and f a l l between the Ohio River and Lake E rie. On the average locks were 15 feet wide, 4 feet deep and 90 feet long.9 Two

6Ibid.

7"01d Erie Canal," Department of Internal Affairs Monthly Bulletin, Vol. 17, No. 1 (1948), Harrisburg, p.lo.

®Reed, op. c it., pp.347-348.

9United States Bureau of Census, Preliminary Report on the Eighth Census, 1860, Executive Document No. li6, Washington, 1862, p.240. 130 thousand acres of reservation lands located along the southern shore of

Presque Isle Bay, to the west of the public steamboat landing, were ceded to the city by the state and an anchorage basin was constructed at the canal's extreme northern end.10

Canal route within the Triangle

The canal, which was oriented in an almost due north-south direc­ tion where it crossed the Appalachian Plateau, entered the Triangle at

Girard. Before reaching this point, the descent from the plateau had been completed and for the whole of its route within the region, the waterway was situ ated on the Lake Erie P lain portion of the Central Low­ lands. The elevation at Girard, however, is 780 feet and there was still a drop of 207 feet that had to be negotiated between there and the lake. The total distance between these two places was about seventeen miles, putting the drop at an average of a little over 12 feet per m ile,11

Proceeding through Girard, the canal continued almost due north for another mile and then turned sharply toward the east-northeast.

Within this short stretch before the turn, the channel bed traversed a beach ridge and dropped some 40 feet. After the eastward turn, the canal followed the 720 foot contour with almost no lowering until it

1*)Reed, op. c it., p.348.

■'■^Pennsylvania State Bureau of Topographic and Geological Survey, Erie Quadrangle. topographic map, United States Geological Survey, Washington, 1900. Fig. 25. REGIONAL CANALS

U1 PENNSYLVANIA

tNEW CASTLE

OHIO EAVER

— ----- | PITTSBUR HOLIDAY 'BURG M,LE, • l" JOHNSTOWN PRINCIPAL CANALS ROUTE HRST PROPOSED TOR THE LOCAMON OF THE ERlF EXTENSION CANAL,

Fig. 26.

CANAL ERIE HARBOR 132 crossed Trout Run just north of Falrview. Three miles east of Fairview, a trestle had to be built to carry the waterway over the Walnut Creek gulf which is nearly 100 feet deep at the point of crossing.12 Continu­ ing toward the northeast and following the relatively flat shoulder of a former lake bed, the canal had very little change in elevation for the next seven miles. At the present outer limits of Erie, near the loca­ tion of Pittsburgh Avenue, the waterway turned into a more northerly direction and, within the next three miles, descended rapidly through the valley of Lee's Run and entered the anchorage basin at Sassafras

Street.1® This final section had a total drop of 100 feet which neces­ sitated IS locks with an average lift or drop of about seven feet.1^

In several places along this portion of the route, quicksand made the building of the channel difficult and carefully hewn timbers had to be fitted together and put on the bottom in order to insure a stable water le v e l.15

Commerce on the canal

After the opening of the Erie Extension, the physiognomy of the

Triangle underwent many changes and the area developed more regional

12"Old Erie Canal," Vol. 17, No. 2 (1949), op. c it., p.8. 15The data in this paragraph were determined by plotting the route of the Erie Extension Canal on the Erie Quadrangle, 1900 topographic map of the area, and then making the desired measurements.

^John Kelly, "The Erie-Pittsburgh Canal," Erie Daily Times, November 15, 1939,

15Walter Jack, "Erie Canal," Erie Dally Times. December 29, 1957. 133 identity than ever before. For thiry years the commercial and indus­ trial life of northwestern Pennsylvania centered upon this waterway which threaded its way across the region's heartland and bound it solidly together. Coal, merchandise and passengers moved northward from south­ ern riverine country; passengers and merchandise moved southward. The canal opened the coal resources of the state to markets bordering on the

Great Lakes and coal imported to Erie from the new Pittsburgh fields steadily increased, from a total of 15,000 tons shipped the first year the canal was opened to a peak total of 141,184 tons in 1855.16 The average capacity of the boats used along this route was 65 tons*7 which means that approximately 2,000 loads of coal alone, passed through the

Triangle in 1855.1® On the b asis of an eight-month ic e -fre e shipping season that would average out about eight shipments per day. Some of this coal remained in Erie to be used either in the making of gas or, because of its relative cheapness, as a heating fuel. Because of the low cost of canal transportation and the widespread availability of coal across the plateau, it was even considered to be a cheaper fuel at

$5.50 a ton than wood at $1.00 per cord.l^ Most of the incoming coal

^Records of the Erie Canal Company as reported in: "Old Erie Canal," Department of Internal Affairs Monthly Bulletin, Vol. 17, No. 5 (1949), Harrisburg, pp,19-il, 17 This was the average weight of canal freight barges. Passenger carriers, called "packet boats," were generally smaller and more stream­ lined in order to provide greater speed.

18Reed, op. c i t . , p .347.

19Sanford, op.c it., p .114. 1 3 4 was eventually exported to other Great Lake ports and because its trans­

shipment was far from steady, several storage yards were developed along

the lower part of the canal.5fl

TABLE 2

Coal Tonnage Shipped Into The Triangle Region On The Erie Extension Canal Between 1845-1860

Year Tonnage Year Tonnage Year Tonnage 1845 15,000 1851 72,943 1857 126,159 1846 27,000 1852 76,650 1858 99,924 1847 51,000 1853 123,031 1859 128,856 1848 70,000 1854 95,611 1860 129,807 1849 79,613 1855 141,184 16 year 1850 57,741 1856 112,811 average 87,958 (Source: Pennsylvania Department of Internal Affairs)

In terms of the Triangle's economy, passenger carriage was second

in importance to coal. Eastern immigrants poured across the Erie Canal

into Buffalo and then into Erie from where they were taken into the

rapidly developing Ohio River country. In 1846, shortly after the open­

ing of the Extension Canal, a daily steamship line was established

between Buffalo and Erie to facilitate movement of these people.2^

The shipment of manufactured goods and agricultural produce were

far less important than that of coal and people and the specific commo­

dities involved are discussed in the agriculture and industry sections

of this chapter.

20Reed, op. c it., p.347.

2*Erie County Unit of the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration, A Guide to the City and County, op. c it.,,p .44. 135

Population

Extra-regional situation

After the War of 1812 the migration from the east coast to the in te rio r increased considerably. The post-w ar economy was somewhat depressed yet the population along the seaboard was growing rapidly.

There was a great influx of Europeans, prompted to emigrate by the hard times that followed the Napoleonic Wars and by the glowing accounts sent back by those in America. Farm prices were rising in the east while land was being given away or sold for less than a dollar an acre in the new west. A network of canals was built around and through the mountains, providing a low cost means of transportation, and the inward movement was on.

Growth and composition

Many of the eastern immigrants made their homes in northwestern

Pennsylvania and by the end of the Canal Period, Erie County which was only a half-century old, was the ninth most populous county in the state.22 Some of these settlers, lured by the rich farmland and inflat­ ed advertisements of the population companies, planned on settling within the Triangle before they left the east whereas many others upon passing through the region on the way to more distant places, were sufficiently impressed to remain.23

22united States Bureau of the Census, Population of the United States in I860, Washington, 1864, p.407. 23 Erie County Unit of the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration, A Guide to the City and County, op. cit.» p.44, 136 With the stimulus of the Erie Canal, population grew most rapidly during the first decade of the era, almost doubling between 1830 and

1840. It slowed considerably in the next ten years and then regained its first-phase growth rate between 1850 and 1860. The overall rapid increase of the period can be illustrated by comparing the percentage population growth of Erie County with those of the state and nation.

Pennsylvania's population increase averaged 29 percent for each ten- year period between 1820 and 1860, that of the United States about 34 percent, whereas that of the Triangle registered a high 61 percent.

Several important changes in the region's internal population distribution occurred during the Canal Period. (l)The city of Erie emerged as the a re a 's dominant urban cen ter. At the close of the pre­ vious period, the city represented only 13.6 percent of the Triangle's populationTand th ree townships contained more people.2® In 1860 i t included approximately 22 percent of the total and had four times the population of all townships except Millcreek which it almost exactly doubled.(2)New villages were created by the canal at Girard, Fairview and Albion. Girard, which eventually became the largest of the three, started out as a campsite for canal construction workers. But its

2^United States Bureau of the Census, Preliminary Report on the Eighth Census, I860,op. c it., pp.124-131

2^United States Census Office, Enumeration of the Inhabitants of the United States, Washington, 1830, 1832, pp.72-73.

2^United States Bureau of the Census, Preliminary Report on the Eighth Census, I860, op. c it., p.423. 137 favorable location between the high aqueducts, near the waterway's sharp southward turn, resulted in its development as the number one canal town

in the western sector of the Triangle. All of these towns still exist today although their rapid growth ceased when the canal was abandoned.

(3)The region's population growth was greater in the western half of the city of Erie and to the west of that city. The canal was situated near the center of these areas and all across the western part of the Triangle no farm or settlement was more than three miles from the watercourse.

During the Pioneer Period the most marked increase had been in the east, stimulated by population agents who settled there and initiated programs of land distribution.

Most of the newcomers, as was true earlier, came from New England,

New York and eastern and southern Pennsylvania.27 However, a greater diversity of nationalities was represented and immigrants in increasing numbers were coming directly from Europe. In 1860, approximately 20 percent of the residents in Erie County were foreign b o m .28 Scotch^

Irish were the dominant national group and they were widely distributed throughout the Triangle.29 The largest new group to enter the area were

German farmers who began to arrive in sizable numbers after 1830. Most o f them came from e a s te rn and so u th ern P ennsylvania b u t some came

27 Day, op. c it., p.309. 28 United States Bureau of the Census, Population of the United States in I860, op. cit., p.438.

29Sanford, op.c i t . . p . 186. 138 d ire c tly from Germany. Other ethnic groups of le s s e r numbers were the

English, Welsh, Finns and Italians.30

Routes of travel

The great majority of the immigrants to come into the Triangle during this period came from the east over the popular Erie Canal route.

From Buffalo they either came to Erie by boat or traveled overland along the Lake Ridge road,31 Shortly after the opening of the Erie Canal, a twice-daily stagecoach line was initiated between Buffalo and Erie but this means of conveyance was expensive and probably not utilized by many immigrants.32 A few settlers, particularly Germans, entered the region from the southeast after crossing the Appalachians on the improved

Forbes, Cumberland and Kittaning r o a d s . 33

Internal transportation development

Because of the extensive road building program of the Pioneer

Period, only several new highways were constructed during the Canal era.

Most notable of these were plank roads built from Erie to Waterford,

Wattsburg and Edinboro. All three were completed in the early 1850's and the Waterford routeway was eventually extended all the way to Pittsburgh.34

30G latzert, op. c i t . , p .63.

31Nelson, op. c i t . , p .189.

32Advertisement, Erie Gazette. July, 1826.

33Nelson, op. c it., p.189. 34 Sanford, op. c it ., p .123. 139

Some railroad building occurred within this period but because of low track mileage, variety of gauges and newness, the railroad did not offer much of a competitive challenge to canal and highway travel.

Agriculture

Stimulated by an influx of German and Irish farmers, the Triangle's agriculture, basically of a subsistence variety during the Pioneer Pe­ rio d , became so lid ly commercial during the Canal era. Immigration of farmers was high; agricultural land was being sold cheaply;35 mechaniza­ tion was replacing the use of hand implements;35 urban markets were growing rapidly and were well connected with the rural countryside by an extensive road network; industry was expanding and agricultural raw materials were in demand; the construction of the canal provided jobs with which new settlers could afford to purchase local land;and, finally, the finished canal made it possible to export produce to distant markets at low costs.37 Although one of the newest counties in the state and one of the last to be settled, in 1860 Erie ranked 16th among the 65

Pennsylvania counties in cash value of farm land and farm implements and 11th in value of livestock. A total of 252,830 improved and 141,081 unimproved acres of land, representing 85 percent of the County's total

35"01d Erie Canal," Vol. 17, No. 1 (1948), op. c it.. p.14.

36Fletcher, op. c it., p.105. 37 Pennsylvania Federation of Historical Societies, Pennsylvania Cavalcade, American Guide S eries, P hiladelphia, 1942, p.40!>. 140 area, had been put to use by local farmers. Of the 20 major categories of produce listed in the 1860 United States Agricultural Census, Erie

County ranked among the top three Pennsylvania counties in the yield of Irish potatoes, barley, orchard products, cheese and maple syrup. She was among the top 10 producers of wool, peas and beans, butter and hay. In regards to her 1860 livestock population, she was 6th in working oxen, 9th in sheep, 10th in "other cattle" and 12th in milk cows.38 In terms of contemporary farming in the Triangle, the two most important developments of the period were in dairying and orchard pro­ duction. In 1960 these were the leading sectors of the region's agricultural economy and both had substantial beginnings during the days of the canal.39 Dairying started simply when a few cows were brought into the area by early settlers. But as the demand for milk products increased, herds were developed on a commercial scale and Holstelns and Guernseys were imported from the southeastern part of the state.40 By 1860 there were nearly 20,000 dairy cattle in Erie County, an approxi­ mate ratio of one for every twor e s i d e n t s . 41 Butter, the region's most valuable agricultural product, and milk were sold to neighbors or carried daily to the village market places. Cheese was manufactured

38United States Bureau of the Census, Agriculture of the United States in 1860, Washington, 1864, pp.122-124.

39Erie County Planning Commission, Basic Survey and Research, op. c i t . , p .58.

4QComelius Weygandt, The Plenty of Pennsylvania, New York, 1942, p.27.

^United States Bureau of the Census, Agriculture of the United States in I860, op. c it., p.122. 141 and exported by lake boat to Buffalo and by canal to Pittsburgh ,*2 Orchard and vineyard farming were practiced on a less grand scale than

dairying but were nevertheless of growing importance along the lake

shore. Because of its perishability, most of the unprocessed fruit was marketed locally whereas small amounts of wine and dried fruit were

shipped down the canal.

Crops which were produced during the Canal era but are not grown

in the region in 1960 are tobacco and hops. S till produced but in far

less abundance are Irish potatoes, barley, buckwheat, rye, flax, wool,

butter and cheese.*3

The character of the farm itself changed considerably with the

passing of the frontier. More land was cleared, farms were larger, mech­

anization replaced hand implements, bam s became commonplace and m iles

of rail fences were built around crop land. At the close of the Canal

Period approximately 70 percent of Erie County's population was engaged

in farming and all but 15 percent of its total land area had been taken

up by farms. Stimulated by new tariff laws against foreign imports,

factory production of farm implements increased rapidly and the hand

^Pennsylvania Federation of Historical Societies, Pennsylvania Cavalcade, op. c it., p.405.

^^hese findings were determined by comparing the Erie County data in Agriculture of the United States in I860, p.124, with that included In the United States Census of Agriculture, 1959, Pennsylvania, Counties, Washington, 1961, pp.182-218. 142 labor methods of the pioneer began to give way to machinery. The harrow,

cultivator, hay rake, reaper, thresher and four-wheel wagon had all been introduced by 1840. Most of the work on the farm, however, continued to be done by the farmer and his family and hired help was uncommon in lo c a l a g ric u ltu re .44

During the first years of settlement within the Triangle, grain was stacked in the fields and only small sheds were needed to protect the farmers' work tools. But with the rapid increase of livestock popu­

lation in the region, it became necessary to build bams in which to house the animals and store food for winter consumption. Most of these bams were built in the German style with stone basements and wooden

upper levels. In the summer, livestock were generally permitted to run at large and, as a result, rail fences had to be put up around the cul­

tivated lands in order to protect the crops from foraging and trampling. These fences, the building and maintenance of which imposed a heavy

burden upon the farm er, became a conspicious featu re o f th e T rian g le's rural area and some of them have survived to the present.45

Industry

Five major developments occurred in the Triangle's industrial

sector during the Canal Period: (l)manufacturing became more diversified;

^Fletcher, op. c it., p. 107,

45I b id .. pp.84-85. 143

(2)the majority of the new industrial establishments were built along the canal or very near to it; (3)a large number of new enterprises were directly connected with canal functions; (4)some degree of industrial specialization took place and, (5)Erie gained a larger percentage of the area's industrial capacity.

Diversification

Although the processing of agricultural products was s till the

number one type of industry in the region, many new kinds of industrial enterprises were started during the Canal Period. The local market was larger and more diverse; improved transportation facilities made it possible to import a greater variety of raw materials and to export a

greater volume of finished products; and a good labor supply was provid­

ed by the growing number of immigrants who, because of their heterogeneous ethnic and geographical backgrounds, possessed many different working skills.

New industries

Chief among the new industries to be developed were ferrous found­

ries, metal works, machine shops, oil cloth manufactures, paper mills,

breweries and gas works. The most important of these were two large

foundries which were built near the center of Erie during the early part

of the period. These establishments represented the beginning of the

region's heavy industry and started a transition from those industries

dependent upon agricultural raw materials to those involved in the manu­

facture of metal products. As was true for most foundries of that era, 144 the Erie furnaces used local raw materials. Bog iron was mined along the shore near the head of the bay. From there it was either hauled overland to the shops or put into boats and carried to the foot of

French S tre e t and then carted to the foundries. This movement re-em ploy­

ed some of the teamsters who had lost their jobs when the salt trade expired.*6 Fuel for the furnaces was provided by charcoal which was made in colliery} by a process requiring six to seven acres of full grown trees per week. Erie's neighboring forest was rapidly cut-over and logs had to be imported, via the canal, from Girard, Lockport, Albion and

Spring Corners.*7 It is claimed that the flux was obtained from local limestone outcroppings but none exist within the region, indicating that it was either brought in from another place or obtained from some other source. The water supply, as was true for all Erie industry at the time, was furnished by springs and wells and the furnace bellows were driven by water wheels or blindfolded horses.*8 These foundries produced over 30 tons of pig iron a week with seme being sold to other

Triangle industries where it was used in the manufacture of stoves, plows and agricultural machinery.49 The specialized importance of these furnaces in the Great Lakes economy was w ell illu s tr a te d in 1848 when

*6Roger E. F ish, "Bog Iro n ," An address given a t the annual meeting of the Erie County Historical Society, April 11, 1947.

*7Reed, op. c it., p.350.

*®Sargent, op. c it., p.97.

*9Whitman, op. c i t . , p .619. 145 the Federal Government gave them a contract for 200,000 pounds of

, S O shot. A major change in this industry's source of iron-ore occurred in 1851 when the first shipload of Lake Superior ore arrived in Erie.

This is reputed to have been the first such shipment ever made on the

Great Lakes and it marked the beginning of what was to become the

Triangle's number one import for nearly 100 years.For the three decades preceeding the Civil War, Erie's iron plants were among the area's leading enterprises but as coke replaced charcoal as the indus­ try 's chief fuel, regional iron-making diminished rapidly and all but one firm ceased to operate.

The making of oil cloth, one of the most specialized types of manufacturing ever to develop within the Triangle, also became a major industry during the Canal Period* Introduced into the area by German immigrants the process was copied by many local residents and by 1850,

Erie was the leading producer of oil cloth in the nation. German set­ tlers were also responsible for bringing the brewery business into the region. Four companies were established between 1840 and 1850, three in Erie and one at Fairview.®^

Chief, Bureau of Ordnance, United States Navy, 1844, "Letter to Johnson Himrod and Co., November 5, 1844," National Archives, Record Group, R6-74, p .90.

^^Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Hall and MacDonald, op. c it., p.2.

^Sanford, op. c it.. p.193 146 Paper-making was yet another new industry and three mills were put up along the lake shore, two at the mouth of Walnut Creek in

Manchester and one at the mouth of Fourteen Mile Creek near Northeast; Power was furnished by waterwheels and the pulp logs were flo ated in , either along the lake shore or down the respective creeks. Paper manu­ facturing is one of Erie’s most important contemporary industries but no clear connection between these first mills and the present could be found. Regardless of heritage, a major difference between the two eras is that the early plants marketed their paper locally whereas most of today’s products are sold extra-regionally.53

Another very specialized enterprise to develop during the period was the extraction of gas from bituminous coal. The gas was used pri­ marily as a lighting fuel and a single Erie plant provided the area with most of its needs until the introduction of electric lights. The main factory and two coal storage yards were built beside the canal in order to take maximum advantage of the low transportation costs which it afforded.54

Old in d u stries

Two industries that were important during the Pioneer Period but experienced considerable growth during the Canal era were lumbering and shipbuilding. Because of the greater demand of a much larger population

53Sanford, op. c it., p.194.

54I b id ., p .133. 147 and the Increased size and diversity of the Industrial market, lumbering became th e number one m anufacturing e n te rp rise In th e region. In 1860 there were 120 mills in Erie County, employing a total of 202 persons.55

Shipbuilding, one of the leading users of lumber, also grew rapidly after the opening of the canal. The industry had two subdivisions; one special­

izing in the building of canal boats, located along the Beaver waterway; and the other, specializing in the construction of lake boats, located along the bay front.56

Industries beginning and ending during the Canal period

An interesting example of how the natural environment may influ­ ence economic activity, in this case industrial location, occurred during the Canal era. The narrow neck of Presque Isle peninsula has been severed by storm waters on five occasions during the recorded his­ tory of the Triangle but the opening has generally been closed in short order. The major exception took p lace between 1832 and 1864 when a wide breach was left open and used as a second harbor entrance.57 This new entryway improved the situation of the west-harbor shore area and sever­ al industries were developed here, well to the west of Erie's

^^United States Bureau of the Census, Manufacturing of the United States in 1860, Washington, 1864, pp.507-508. 56 Reed, op. c it., p.350.

57E. Scott, P. Coughlin, D. Sitter, F. Stonefoot and H. Bovard, "History and Geography," Guide to Resources. Erie, 1957, pp.8-9. 148 manufacturing district. A whiskey distillery and grist and woolen mills were built near the lower end of Cascade Street, and boats laden with

raw materials and finished products went in and out of the "western" channel with regularity. Plans to make this second entrance permanent

were introduced by the United States Army Corps of Engineers but the

political and economic powers of the many industries to the east were brought to bear and the break was finally closed. The new enterprises

lost their chief locational advantage and were forced to close.5®

Industries along the canal

Although the canal stimulated economic growth throughout north­

western Pennsylvania, its greatest impact occurred within a short

distance of its routeway and commercial and industrial establishments of many sorts sprung up along its sides. Within the Triangle, the major

concentrations of these were: in Erie, the canal's terminal city; in

Fairview, situated just west of the Walnut Creek trestles; and in Girard and North Girard, both located just east of the Elk Creek trestle, near

the point where the canal turned sharply toward the south. Erie was

by far the most important of these three and included the greatest nun-

ber and variety of "canal" industries and services. Chief among these

were: two large flour and grist mills, powered by canal overflow water

which was a far more dependable water source than that of the local

streams; eight merchandise and forwarding companies, a ll but two of which

were located on the canal basin; a canal boat construction and mainten­

ance company; two lumber companies; four coal yards; a gas extraction

5®Nelson, op. c it., p.88, 149 plant and numerous warehouses, the largest of which were located along the canal basin. A passenger-service center developed along the weigh- lock basin between Seventh and Ninth gtreets, approximately one mile from the end of the canal. The waterway was widest here and because boats were generally detained for hours by long weighing lines, passen­ gers disembarked upon reaching this strip .69

Because Girard, North Girard and Fairview were created by the canal and grew along its sides, all of their industries and commercial estab­

lishments were located near the waterway and w ill therefore not be l i s t e d . 60

Industrial specialization

During the Pioneer Period the major industries of lumbering, flour and grist milling and distilling were widely scattered throughout the

Triangle and there was no recognizable separation of these by type. But as industry became more complex and its local importance increased as a result of the canal, some specialization began to appear: (l)With its two large iron foundries and several associated iron works, Erie became the region's center of heavy industry; (2)Erie also gained clear supre­ macy in shipbuilding as construction activity at Elk Creek, Avonia, Four

Mile Creek and Orchard Beach declined considerably; (3)Wattsburg and

Northeast, tanning with the hemlock bark which was abundant in their

69John Bevan, Map of Erie. Erie, 1851.

6°Specific establishments located at these places are shown on F igure 49, ISO

part of the Triangle, were leading producers of leather goods and there were four establishments at each place; (4)Wattsburg, the only important

plateau village in the area at the time, was also the region's leading

limbering center, including a total of six mills; (S)all three paper

plants, two at Manchester and one at Northeast, were situated very close

to the lake shore; (6)a small community developed ju s t north of Girard

and, at the time of the canal, its three major Industries were machine

shops in which mechanical equipment from the Triangle's western sector

was constructed and repaired; (7)finally, there were those industries

which were directly concerned with canal functions and therefore located

along its route.

Erie supremacy

During the preceeding period, Erie contained less than 25 percent

of the Triangle's industrial establishments but by the end of the canal

era, it included well over half of them.

Summary and Conclusions

End of an era

Once the railroad proved to be a superior means of communication

the canal declined in importance and disappeared more rapidly than any

other major transport medium in American history. Its domination of

freight and passenger movement within the economy was also probably

61 These data were taken from Figure 37. 151 shorter-lived than that of other principal carriers. Trans-oceanic and coastwise shipping via sailing ships were the heartlines of the colonial world for 250 years; Conestoga wagons were the number one cross-country carriers for over 100 years and the railroad has been the country's leading freight hauler since the 1850s. But the canal was a leading mover for, at most, only 25 years and within the Triangle only 15 years. Seven major factors contributed to the demise of the canals: (1) They were expensive to build and maintain and generally operated at a loss;6^ (2)they didn't last long enough to recoup original investments; (3)they followed less direct routes than most other modes of transport;

(4)there was considerable traffic congestion at many of the locks because of a lack of a central traffic control system; (5)canal boats

moved very slowly, averaging only four m.p.h.;63 (6)inter-regional high­ ways were being developed and steadily improved; and, finally and most important, (7)competition from railroads. Within the Triangle, railroad competition began when the Lakeshore Line, part of a system connecting Buffalo and Cleveland, was completed through Erie in 1853. Packet-boat passenger service dropped moderately but because the canal specialized in freight hauling, business was not greatly affected. Another setback occurred in 1857 when the main line

of the Pennsylvania Canal was sold to railroad interests, resulting in

a decrease in traffic between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Because these

62 Goodrich, op. c it.. p.244.

^Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, "Historic Pennsylvania," Pennsylvania Leaflet No. 1, Harrisburg, 1953, p.22. 152 early railroad companies were primarily building east-west lines and

the Beaver Canal was oriented north-south, the extension waterway re­ mained a busy thoroughfare until 1864 when the Erie-Pittsburgh track was completed. Unable to compete with the new railroad, the Extension

Canal Company went bankrupt and sold out to the Erie-Pittsburgh line 64 in 1870. The waterway was maintained at great losses for one more year but was finally forced to close down when the high aqueduct over Elk Creek collapsed in 1871.

Major changes of the period

Although the Canal Period did not last very long, it included a considerable number of important changes in the region's cultural

geographical character. (l)More of northwestern Pennsylvania's present

urban pattern took shape during this period than in any other comparable

span of time. All but two of the area's present day communities of over

1,000 population were well established by the closing of the canal.

During the pioneer era there were little settlements at nearly every cross-roads but these largely disappeared and were replaced by larger

urban centers that grew along transportation routes having extra-region­ al significance. Erie, chosen as the canal's lake-front terminal, clearly became the region's number one city and its market places, in­ dustries and cultural offerings gave the Triangle more unity than ever

6^Rhoads, op. c it., p.231

6®Reed, op. c it. » p.349. before. New villages, all important in the Twentieth Century, were established along the canal at Girard, North Girard and Fairview; North­ east one of the oldest communities in the region, grew rapidly at the junction of the "Buffalo" and "Wattsburg" roads; and Wattsburg became one of the county’s chief agricultural centers. (2)The commercial core of Erie, which moved several times during the early years of the city’s growth, became fixed at its present State Street location. When the

French occupied the area, the focal point of economic activity was near lower Parade Street but with pioneer settlement, the business center g ravitated slowly westward. French s tre e t was the number one commercial thoroughfare for the early canal days and the focus of business finally moved to State Street around 1840. This switch was primarily caused by the building, along lower State Street, of the canal basin, new public steamboat landing and United States Bank. (3)The character of what was to become Erie's position in the next century of Great Lakes commerce began to take shape. Coal, as is s t i l l tru e today, became the number one export and the first shipments of iron ore, the number one import at present, started to arrive. Commercial fishing, an enterprise in which the region eventually ranked number one on the Great Lakes, started during the last decade of the period. The boat yards of the area, given impetus by a growing demand for steamships, continued to supply the Lake

Erie fleet with many sound vessels. (4)The canal basin, built to provide docking facilities at the northern terminus of the Beaver extension, still remains as the most important relict of the actual canal. It is now a part of Erie harbor and is the anchoring place of sand and gravel 154

PLATE VI

Fig. 27. The east canal basin Is now used as a marina for pleasure boats and as the launching place for two ship­ building companies.

Fig. 28. The Kuberold Company, located near the west canal basin, is one of the few industries which has direct access to the bay. 155 barges, carriers of petroleum products, dredges, fishing boats, commer­ cial ferries and nunerous pleasure craft. (5)Erie's contemporary industrial structure began to form as three of the establishments begun in the Canal era still exist today. They are the Erie City Iron Works,

Erie Brewing Company and the Paasch Shipbuilding Company. (6)The Tri­ angle's Twentieth Century agricultural nature was strongly influenced at this time as orchard farming and dairying, both important today, were in­ troduced on a large scale. By the closing days of the canal, Erie County ranked second in the state in value of orchard products and twelfth in number of dairy cattle.66 (7)East-west overland transportation routes became f a r more im portant than those leading to the south and they remained so up to the present. During the Pioneer Period as well as when the French and English occupied the area, roads to Pittsburgh and the southeast were among the best of the frontier whereas connections to the east and west were almost impassable. But with the completion of the canal, overland transportation facilities that approximately paral­ leled its route were neglected and by the time the waterway failed, the lakeshore roadways had surpassed the quality of those leading toward the south. This turnabout can be illustrated by the fact that stage coach frequency between Erie and Cleveland and Buffalo had become eight times as great as that between Erie and Pittsburgh,6^ (8)Finally, and most important, this period marked a turning point in the relative growth of

66 United States Bureau of the Census, Agriculture of the United States in I860, op. c it., pp.122-124.

67There were 14 weekly stages between Erie and Buffalo, 10 between Erie and Cleveland and only three between Erie and Pittsburgh. the r e g io n s economy. For the f i r s t 125 years of th e h isto ry of the

Europeans on the Great Lakes, the area was the most important on Lake

Erie and during the American Pioneer Period, Erie was the largest urban center on the southern shore. However, in the early nineteenth century, sizable villages sprang up at Cleveland and Buffalo, offering strong commercial and industrial competition to the settlement at Presque Isle.

Even though possessing the best natural harbor of the three, being located closest to the Pittsburgh market, receiving considerable atten­ tion and financial aid from the federal government as a result of her role in the War of 1812, and having been the most important during the

Pioneer era, Erie failed to keep pace with the other two cities. Today

Cleveland and Buffalo are among the nation's 15 greatest metropolitan centers whereas Erie remains a third class city. Many factors were responsible for her failure to maintain her rapid early growth and not all of them occurred within the Canal Period. But the relative decline in population and economic growth began during this period and although many of the reasons for this slow-up will never be known, several are quite apparent:(a)The long delay in the completion of the Erie Extension

Canal greatly weakened the strong commercial bonds that had previously existed between Erie and Pittsburgh. The Pennsylvania Canal flourished for eighteen years before the link to Lake Erie was constructed. During this time, Pittsburgh's trade pattern was altered considerably as raw material sources and markets located near the canal became most impor­ tant. Erie was separated from the rapidly growing industrial center by 130 miles of rough roads and treacherous waterways. In addition, it 1S7 took so long to complete the extension, that by the time it was opened, the United States canal era was already on the decline and the Triangle did not have the confident investment boom it might have had twenty years earlier. (b)The western location of the canal, a position largely influenced by Ohio interests, resulted in the loss of considerable flat-boat tonnage to Akron and other Ohio cities.68 Rather than go back twenty miles toward the east and pay the multiple tolls of the locks existing between the plateau and the lake shore, many merchants unloaded their cargoes well south of the Triangle and sold them in nearby Ohio markets.69 The selection of this western route also pointed up the natural advantages of building lake bound transport media through the several valleys leading from the Pittsburgh area into Ohio rather than over th'i rugged topography lying more d ire c tly between Erie and

Pittsburgh. These routeways, in fact, were eventually so well developed that important trade between Erie and Pittsburgh practically ceased.

(jd)While the canal was in use, no new roads were constructed between the Triangle and Pittsburgh and those already in existence were not well cared for. What had once been the best overland routeway between the

Great Lakes and the Ohio River became almost impassable and when the

canal closed, little commercial slack was taken up by the southbound

68Pennsylvania Federation of Historical Societies, Pennsylvania Cavalcade, op. c it., p.395.

69If the canal builders had chosen the "eastern route," which was in the original master plan for Pennsylvania canals, the waterway would have been more than twenty m iles removed from the Ohio boundary and the eastern swing into Erie would have been unnecessary. roads. (d)Many Pennsylvania fin a n c ie rs and p o litic ia n s withdrew th e ir support from the region and lost interest in its economic development.

When the Triangle was purchased, it was hoped that the harbor at Presque

Isle would become the gateway for Great Lakes trade and funnel business into Pennsylvania, helping the state to maintain its high position in the nation's economy. But this dream was shattered with the opening of

New York's Erie Canal which proved a far better connection between the

East Coast and the Great Lakes than any that could possibly be built across Pennsylvania's rugged Appalachian Mountains. It became obvious that even though Erie had the best harbor on Lake Erie, there were no natural corridors between the port city and important markets to the south and east. CHAPTER V

THE RAILROAD PERIOD: 1860-1910

S ettin g During the second half of the Nineteenth Century, almost every aspect of American growth was related in some way to the railroad. Both industry and agriculture relied upon it for transportation of their products and it carried more settlers than ever before into the new west. The railroad companies themselves represented major consumers of raw materials and manufactured goods; became the largest non-governmental land holders in the nation; employed more people than any other single industry or service; and, in general, stimulated the already rapidly expanding economy of the United States. Railroads had been introduced into this country well before canals became widespread but years of experimentation were required before they could compete successfully with water-borne carriers. After many improvements were made, particu­ larly the standardization of track gauges at four feet, eight and one half inches, the advantages of rail carriage surpassed those of the canal and the railway became this country's number one mode of trans­ p o rtatio n .

Principal Triangle Railroads Throughout the early days of railroad construction, there was keen competition among New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore for the Great

159 1 6 0

Lakes and Ohio Valley trade. Spurred by this, Pennsylvania interests pushed for the building of trunk lines from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and Erie.1 It was hoped that the latter railway would attract a sub­ s ta n tia l p o rtio n o f overseas commerce then being shipped via th e E rie

Canal, and put Erie into a more competitive position with Buffalo; a city which had enjoyed a monopoly on east-bound foreign trade since the opening of its canal link with the Hudson River system in 1825.2 But, as was true during the building of the Pennsylvania Canal, construction of the Triangle's end of the routeway was difficult to finance and work lagged considerably. Although projected in 1830, Philadelphia's pathway to the lakeshore was not completed until 1864 and some 15 years after its line to Pittsburgh was finished.3 The new road, later called the

Pennsylvania, did not capture much of the midwestern trade and failed to give the anticipated boost to the Triangle's faltering commercial impor­ tance.

In a further attempt to connect northwestern Pennsylvania with potential market areas, tracks were laid southward to Pittsburgh. The road, also opened in 1864, closely followed the Erie Extension Canal.

It ran westward from Erie, turned sharply onto the plateau at Girard and closely followed Ohio's eastern boundary throughout most of its length.4

^-George Burgess and Miles Kennedy, Centennial History of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, Philadelphia, 1949, pp.149-50.

2Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Hall and MacDonald, op. c it.. p.2. 3 Nelson, op. c it., p.183.

4"01d Erie Canal," Department of Internal Affairs Monthly Bulletin, Vol. 17, No. 6 (1949), Harrisburg, p.25. 161

As was true with the canal, the location of this railway was such that it served northeastern Ohio even better than the Triangle, resulting in the channeling of a great deal of traffic around the region. A feeder line was built from Conneaut, Ohio, joining the trunk route just south of the Triangle's western tip. Large quantities of iron ore, which Erie had once hoped to handle, were imported at Conneaut and then trans­ shipped along this routeway to Pittsburgh area mills, This "spur" gained such a large share of the railroad's business that it eventually became more important than the Erie "main-line” and, in 1963, is one of the major iron-ore carriers in the United States,5 Some iron-ore was received at Erie and then shipped along this new road but the natural advantages of Ohio's lake ports resulted in their increasing dominance of this trade. Coal, representing approximately 25 percent of the rail­ road’s to ta l fre ig h t tonnage, was the p rin cip a l northbound commodity to enter the Triangle and, as was true during the previous period, it was the region's chief export.6

The New York Central and Nickel Plate railways, two very direct east-west running lines, provided the region with superb transportation connections with other lake shore commercial centers. Throughout the

Railroad era, however, they carried very little freight and concentrated on passenger service. At the close of the period, for example, approxi­ mately 70 express trains were stopping at the city of Erie every 24 hours,7

^Robert G. Lewis, The Handbook of American Railroads, New York. 1956, p.23.

6I b id ., p .24.

7Nolen, op. c it.. p.161. 162 Philadelphi Elmira Baltimore Washington DC. LAKE Buffalo P ittsb u rg h MILES 1914 Cleveland REGIONAL RAILROADS

Pig. 29. (After Charles 0. Paullln, Historical Geography Sf the United States. Plate 141.) 163

The Impact of the Railroad Upon the Triangle's Economy

Locally, the coming of the railroad contributed to the decline of the Triangle as one of the leading urban-industrial areas on the Great

Lakes. From the time of the landing of the French at Presque Isle until the closing of the Beaver Extension Canal, th ; region included an impor­ tant link in a major trade route between the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley.

It was at a position where a break-in-bulk and transfer of goods was necessary, and the commerce generated by the situation, bolstered the regional economy. But the natural disadvantages which hindered the de­ velopment of transportation routes directly south from the lake shore were magnified by the railroad. Railways require flatter road beds than any other type of overland carriers and it is generally not feasible to lay track s a t more than a two and one-half percent gradient. Unfortun­ ately, there are no low-level corridors bel^een the Triangle and the

Ohio River but rather a series of barriers: (l)bluffs, ranging from SO to 150 feet high, bordering the water front; (2)three lake cliffs, averaging 100 feet in height and situated inland, almost parallel to the lake shore; (3)a 10 to 20 mile wide belt of the hummocky Illinoian terminal moraine, and finally; (4)a fifty mile stretch of the greatly dissected, unglaciated Appalachian plateau. Because of the high expense that would be involved in the building of a direct line over such rugged terrain, those constructed were roundabout and single tracked. Trade with Pittsburgh and the rest of Pennsylvania declined and the region was forced to integrate commercially with other lake plain centers. Although the table-flat lacustrine terraces extending to the east and west made 164 it possible to build efficient communication routeways in those direc­ tions, the Triangle, having no particular advantage of situation and only a small hinterland market area, was unable to regain much of the importance it had achieved through its earlier north-south connec­ tio n s .

P opulation

Extra-regional Situation

The greatest westward population movement this country has ever known took place after the widespread introduction of the railroad.

Nearly every part of the lowland area of the nation was made accessible by the "iron horse’' as rails stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. Three factors contri­ buted significantly to this movement: (l)The Homestead Act, passed by

Congress in 1862, provided free interior land for thousands of settlers;

(2)foreign immigration reached an all time high and a large percentage of the new arrivals traveled directly to the less crowded Midwest}8 and (3)industry was on the rise along the lower Great Lakes and there was a demand fo r la b o re rs a t a l l s k i l l le v e ls .

Growth and Distribution

The Triangle area's population growth rate, although still high relative to that of past periods, declined in relation to increases

g According to the United States Census Reports, 1860 through 1910, a total of 22,856,578 immigrants entered the country during the Railroad P eriod. 165 reg istered by Pennsylvania and the United S tates. Between 1860 and 1910 i t s number of inhabitants grew by 135 percent compared to 163 percent for the state and 379 percent for the country.9 This was in sharp con­ trast to the situation of the Canal Period when the local population swelled at approximately twice the rate of those in both Pennsylvania and the United States. This slowdown was primarily a result of the fact that the center of the new settlement development in the country was moving farther and farther toward the west. It was also affected by the region's declining relative-economic importance.

Several notable distribution changes took place during these years and all but one of them are reflected in the present population pattern.

(l)The lake plain became the focus of new settlement and the population of the plateau grew very slow ly,10 The lowland, more su itab le fo r industry, agriculture and commerce and the opportunities associated with the growth of these, not only attracted the majority of the immigrants but began to draw farmers away from the "land" and into the urban cen­ ters. This concentration continued and in 1960 82 percent of the county's residents were located within five miles of the lake whereas the remaining 18 percent were widely scattered among the numerous vil­ lages, hamlets and farmsteads of the plateau.11 As a result of this

9These figures were determined by comparing the relative data for Erie County, Pennsylvania, and the Unites States, as reported in the 1860 and 1910 United S tates Census Population Reports.

10Murphy, op. c i t . , p .136.

^E rie County Planning Commission, Land Use Patterns. Erie County Master Plan, Phases III and IV, Erie, I960, Plate jflV. 166 movement, the city of Erie also gained a larger share of the region's population and its relative growth during the period was more rapid than during any other. At the end of the Canal era the city contained only 22 percent of the county's inhabitants but by the close of the

Railroad Period, this percentage had risen to 57.12 Its share has since remained somewhat constant and in 1960 was approximately 55 percent.15

(2)The relative growth of Fairview and Girard, two towns largely created by the canal, slowed after the abandonment of the waterway and the population of the former actually declined during the early part of the period.1^ (3)The arrival of the railroad created a small community at

Miles Grove (later called North Girard) and stimulated more vigorous growth in Northeast, Harborcreek and East Springfield—all located along major trunk lines.15 (4)The southward expansion of Erie, sparked by the southerly location of east-west rail routes through the city, was sufficient to absorb South Erie, heretofore a separate settlement.16 (5)After fire destroyed its two paper mills, Manchester almost disap­ peared and in 1963 it is little more than a boat launching area for fishermen.17

12United States Bureau of the Census, Thirteenth Census of the United States, Taken in the Year 1910, Volume III, Population, Washington, p .541. 15Erie County Planning Commission, Population Trends, op. c it., p .33. 14Atkinson, op. c it., p.51. 15Wamer and Beers, op. c it., p.846.

^Nelson, op. c it., p.397.

17Reed, op. c it., p.451. 167 Composition

Immigration to the United States rose considerably after the

C iv il War and the n a tio n 's ethnic character became more and more com­ plex. The war helped to break down regional prejudices and increasing nunbers of people from eastern and southern Europe entered the country.

This diversity of origin was reflected in the Triangle's population composition, and by 1880, 46 different nations were represented in the area. Ten of these numbered over 500 persons each, including the

Germans, Italians, Russians, English and Irish, all of which totaled well over 1,000.18 This period marked the real beginning of the influx of the two nationalities that eventually became the first and second ranking ethnic groups in the Triangle, the Poles and Italians. Of the native-born settlers the largest number came from eastern Pennsylvania;

New York, Ohio, Massachusetts and Connecticut were less important source areas.I9

Routes of Travel

The majority of the new settlers entered the area via railroad and the chief carriers were: (l)The New York Central, which connects the middle Atlantic Seaboard with the southern shores of Lakes Ontario and E rie. I t s main lin e follows the n atu ral corridor of the Hudson-

Mohawk Rivers, beside the s till operative New York State Barge Canal.

18 Department of the Interior Census Office, Statistics of the Population of the United States at the Tenth Census, June 1, 1880. RasKington, Tifla, p.SE.------5:1------'------'------19 Erie County Planning Commission, Basic Survey and Research. op. c it., p.26. 168

(2)The Erie, which is located along the northern boundary of

Pennsylvania and traverses the eastern part of the Appalachian barrier through the Delaware Water Gap—linking the southeastern and northwest­ ern parts of the state. (3)The Pennsylvania, which extends westward from Philadelphia along the Susquehanna River and then across to the

Pittsburgh vicinity where a trunk line swings northward to Erie. It

is probable that many of the New Yorkers and New Englanders who traveled to the Triangle utilized the New York Central, whereas the settlers

from eastern Pennsylvania most likely traveled on either the Erie or

Pennsylvania roads.

As was true during the days of the canal, overland highways later numbered 30, 40 and 322 were also trans-Appalachian immigrant pathways and these were connected with northwestern Pennsylvania by routes 8 and 19. A few settlers still arrived from the east by boat but it had become more p ro fita b le fo r steam shipping companies to carry fre ig h t than human cargo and all regular passenger lines were abandoned.20

Internal Transportation Development

The approximate positions of all of the region's major railroad trunk lines were established, including the New York Central,

Pennsylvania, Nickel Plate and Bessemer and Lake Erie. The increase

in actual track mileage was considerable. In 1860, road lengths reached

approximately 51 miles, an average of only .16 miles of track per square

20Wamer and Beers, op. c it., p.273. 169 mile of territory;2 1 by 1900 the figure had grown to approximately 130 miles, an average of .4 miles of track per square miles of territory.22

Highway mileage increased very little during the period as almost

all inter-city routes were fixed during the Pioneer era, but street

mileage within the major urban centers of the Triangle increased greatly.

The total length of Erie’s city streets, for example, tripled between

1860 and 1910.23

Agriculture

Introduction

With the coming of the railroad, the industrial awakening and the

urban population movement, agriculture within the region, as well as

in the nation as a whole, began to decline in relative importance. The

total acreage under cultivation shrunk, farms decreased in number and

the percentage of the working force engaged in agricultural pursuits

declined. The amount of local area in farms, which had steadily

increased since the first pioneer settlement, reached a peak of 80 per­

cent near the turn of the century and then began to diminish—a trend which continued to 1960.2^ At that time, for example, there were

21The 51 mile figure was determined by measuring the track length on the State Geologic Survey's 1900 edition of the Erie Quadrangle of those railroads reported to have been constructed by 1860 (Sanford, op. c it., pp.118-22),

22The 130 mile figure was determined by measuring the total length of trackage on the same map.

23Nolen, op, c i t . , p .224.

^^These data were determined by comparing the census figures for United States agriculture from 1860 through 1910. 170 slightly less than one-half as many farms as there were in 1880 and they employed only one-fifth as many workers.2®

Production Changes

Agricultural output increased absolutely during the period and rose more rapidly than that in most other parts of Pennsylvania. Erie

County's rank in regard to value of farm products, for example, was boosted from sixteenth to seventh between 1860 and 1910. The most significant advances were made in the production of fruit and vegetables. Primarily due to an expansion in grape and strawberry acreage, the county moved from third to first place among the state's fruit growers and in 1910, almost doubled the yield of the second place producer.2**

This top position has never been relinquished and northwestern

Pennsylvania is presently one of the nation's outstanding growers of fruit other than citrus. General vegetable farming, previously prac­ ticed only on a market-gardening scale, also became one of the leading sectors of the agricultural economy as the rise in urbanization created ready markets for food crops. Truck farming was begun in the southern part of the region and by the end of the period, the county had risen from 32nd to fourth place among the state's vegetable producers.27

25Erie County Planning Commission, Land Use Patterns, op. c it,, Chart B-2, 26 United States Bureau of the Census, Thirteenth Census of the United States, Taken in the Year 1910, Volume' VII, Agriculture, Washington, 1913, pp.466-67.

27Ib id . 171

In addition to these new products, several commodities that had been important during the days of the canal—potatoes, hay, maple syrup and dairy goods—all retained their high ranking. Conversely, the relative production of barley, oats and cheese declined.

Specialization and the Rise of the lake fcrie Fruit Belt

For the first time in the Triangle's history, commercial agricul­ tural specialization began to appear. Previously, farm types were quite similar throughout the region and there were no clearly discern­ ib le specialty areas. But a marked dichotomy occurred during th is period and the two major subdivisions of the contemporary agricultural landscape, the coastal fruit and nut and the general-dairy farming belts, became distinct. The majority of the farmers along the lake- shore gave up the raising of livestock and feed and turned to the growing of vineyard and orchard products, whereas on the naturally less well-endowed plateau, dairying remained prominent and the grazing of

AQ c a ttle and sheep was commonplace. Because of i t s clim atic and topo­ graphic advantages, the lake plain became far more important than the upland, both in number of farms and value of output. A local landowner pointed out some of the advantages of this area in 1880 when he wrote: "North of the ridge, the land is warm and generally producing wheat,

29 Everts, Ensign and Everts, op. c it., pp.21-24, 172 rye, com and barley; apples are abundant and of excellent quality; grapes are abundant and superior in quality and flavor."^*0

The most significant development in the agricultural economy of this period was the widespread introduction of grapes. Prior to the arrival of the railroad, the fruit could not be transported very far before spoiling and the local markets were small, so only a few vine­ yards were planted. Speedy railroad carriage,however, made it possible to deliver safely the perishable crop to places located over 100 miles away. E xtra-regional demands fo r grapes and grape products increased, stimulating the rapid growth of the lakeshore fruit belt. By 1910, the lake plain included 4,236,322 vines and produced 18,927,730 pounds of grapes. An estim ated 1200 to 1500 carloads were exported.

At first, grape acreage was primarily concentrated in the eastern half of the Triangle as most of the pre-1900 vineyards were located in

Northeast and Harborcreek townships. After the turn of the century, an increasing percentage of the crop was planted in the central and western townships of Millcreek, Girard, Fairview and Springfield, bringing the whole of the Pennsylvania lake plain into the grape belt.^ The eastern

30 Isaac Moorhead, "Erie County," History of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1883, p.703,

31 United States Bureau of the Census, Thirteenth Census of the United States, Taken in the Year 1910, Volume VII, Agriculture, op.cit., p .466. 32 "Grape Belt in Erie County Not Excelled in Any Part of the World," Erie Daily Times, December 31, 1911, 173 section never lost its early advantage, however, in the 1960's, still

produces the major portion of the region's grape harvest.®3

An important by-product of the formation of the fruit belt was

the introduction of seasonal labor, a common practice in the area in

1960. Pickers were recruited to help with the large grape crops of

the early 1900's; the advantage of using extra workers for peak harvest

seasons became apparent and they were soon being used on almost every kind of local fruit f a r m . 3^

Industry

Introduction

Because of the decline in importance of lake commerce in north­

western Pennsylvania, the Triangle's economic pursuits were bent even

more fully toward industrial development. A movement which was to make

manufacturing the primary activity of the region, a position it held

through the Modem era, was begun.35 By the end of the period, the

total value of Erie County's industrial production had multiplied more

than twelve times and the number of gainfully employed workers had risen

■“Erie County Planning Commission, Land Use Patterns, op. c it., p la te I I .

3^"Grape Belt in Erie County Not Excelled in Any Part of the World,” Ibid. 35 Erie County Planning Commission, Basic Survey and Research, op. c it., p.53. 174 eight fold. There were, however, few major differences in the com­ position of the industrial bases of the Canal and Railroad periods, and this growth resulted more from the intensification of existing manufac­ turing specialties than from the introduction of new enterprises. The basic organization remained the same and established firms, generally, strengthened their positions. Nevertheless, six notable developments occurred between 1860 and 1910: (l)Industry became more specialized and some of the diversity of the previous period was lost; (2)productive capacities within particular industrial sectors became concentrated in fewer establishments; (3)the center of the factory district gravitated away from the bay front and abandoned canal and moved toward the newly constructed railroad lines, the focus of its present situation; (4)three major industries were established, and (5)three others went out of b u sin ess.

Diversification and Specialization

In 1910, Erie was exceeded only by Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, among Pennsylvania cities, in regards to the number of different types of industry which it included, indicating a continuation of the diver­ sity which developed in the area during the Canal P e r i o d , However,

36 Data compared in: United States Bureau of the Census, Thir­ teenth Census of the United States. Taken in the Year 1910, Volume IX, Manufactures, Washington. 1912, p.1085 and. United States Bureau of the Census, Manufacturing of the United States in 1860, op. c it., p.537.

^United States Bureau of the Census, Thirteenth Census of the United States, Taken in the Year 1910, Volume IX, Manufactures, op.' c it. , pp.1084-93. 1 7 5 within the city and its environs there was an absolute decline in the variety of manufacturing activities and a greater concentration upon heavy industry. Only approximately one-half dozen establishments that would have been classified as producers of "heavy" goods existed during the days of the canal and, in 1860, the county was unlisted among the state's leaders in foundry and machine shop production.38 But by the close of the Railroad era, in Erie alone, there was a total of more than 70 foundries and machine shops, which employed 45 percent of the city's labor force and accounted for 36 percent of its total value of manufactures.3^ Never before or since has one type of industry played so important a role in the Triangle's chief urban center. This specialization was largely due to the following factors: (l)The initial stage of industrial growth at any location is often one dominated by heavy industry. (2)Two foundries, established in the previous era, proved successful and attracted additional investment capital. (3)The discovery of iron ore deposits in the Lake Superior area and the comple­ tion of the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad, put the Triangle in a favorable position for bringing iron ore and coal together relatively cheaply and producing low cost iron. (4)The region had good water and i rail connections with other Lake Erie urban and manufacturing centers, making it possible to export and market heavy, bulky goods with minimum

3®United States Bureau of the Census, Manufacturing of the United States in 1860, op. c it., p.507.

3^United States Bureau of the Census, Thirteenth Census of the United States, Taken in the Year 1910, Volume IX, tianufactures, op. c it., p .ll0 2 . 176 transportation charges. (5)Heavy industries primarily required un­ skilled labor and the increased immigration from eastern and southern Europe supplied this need.

Fewer and Larger Companies At the end of the Canal Period, when Erie County industries employed only 1,386, there were some 372 different industrial establish­ ments. As had been the case since early pioneers set up the first mills along local streams, small, family-type enterprises were the backbone of the region's industry and accounted for most of its productive capacity. Although there were several large employers at the time, the average working force per individual company was only 3.7,^° During the next half century, however, a sharp change occurred and a movement toward larger manufacturing plants began. The labor supply grew rapidly, in­ creasing by more than 800 percent whereas the number of firms engaged in industry remained approximately the same, rising by only five percent. By 1910, the average employment per company had expanded to 28, a con­

siderable jump from the canal era's average of fewer than f o u r .**1

Factory D istrict With the close of the Extension Canal and the relative decrease in importance of Erie’s port, the center of the Triangle's factory

^°United States Bureau of the Census, Manufacturing of the United States in 1860, op. c it., p.507.

41United States Bureau of the Census, Thirteenth Census of the United States, Taken in the Year 1910, Volune IX, Manufactures, op. c it., p .1085. 177 d istrict gravitated away from those places and moved southward toward the new railway lines. This migration set the pattern for later indus­ trial location as almost all of the plants in Erie, Mill Creek,

Harborcreek, Lawrence Park, Northeast, Girard and Fairview, in 1960, are situated with direct access to the main tracks of the New York

Central and Nickel Plate companies.

In Erie, there was more new growth on the west side of the city than on the east, probably representing the final impact of the canal upon the twentieth century industrial landscape. During the Canal

Period the greatest part of industrial development occurred in this part of the city near the waterway and because two of the new railroad lines were built in the same vicinity, many of the plants remained after the closing of the canal and, further, attracted others.

Conversely, throughout the remainder of the Triangle, growth in the eastern section was greater than in the western. Industries in

Girard and Fairview had been geared to the canal and were temporarily set back by its closing whereas in the Northeast and Harborcreek areas, the coming of the railroad resulted in an expansion of fruit farming and an associated growth in food-processing and container-making estab­

lish m en ts.

New Industries

Because the basic industrial composition of the region remained about the same as it had been during the previous period, only three major new industries were introduced in this era: fishing, oil refining and ice harvesting. The last two were short-lived and left no 178 outstanding impression upon the present landscape but they were impor­ tant parts of the character of the region at the time of their existence and, along with fishing, warrant examination.

Fishing

Even though the Triangle has approximately 47 miles of shoreline and a long history of shipbuilding and lake travel, fishing did not became an important industry until 60 years after the first settlers reached the region. Early residents depended upon fishing to supplement their diets but large catches were unheard of. There were no sizable markets in the Great Lakes vicinity at the time and methods for catching and preserving the fish in quantity, had yet to be devised. Prior to

1850, in fact, almost all fish were taken by hook and line. In that year, however, net fishing was introduced and the boom was on. Urban markets were growing and the railroad made it possible to carry salt- smoke-or ice-preserved fish considerable distances. Erie soon became the first ranking fishing port on the lakes, a position it maintained

until after the turn of the century. Elk Creek, Freeport and Avonia also gained prominence and fishing became their most significant econo­ mic a c t i v i t y .^

By the close of the period, 110 fishing vessels were operating out of Erie alone, and their collective annual haul was approximately

20 m illio n pounds. Employment in th e industry reached 600, placing i t

42Wamer and Beers, op. c it., p.841. 179 among the region's largest enterprises. Chief among the types of fish caught were herring, pike, perch, whitefish, sturgeon and salmon.

Part of the catch was sold locally and the remainder was shipped for distribution among western Pennsylvania markets as well as to places as far away as , Louisville and St. Louis.44

The industry was somewhat seasonal as Lake E rie , because of i t s northerly location and shallowness, would freeze over or become jammed with floe ice for three to four months each winter, causing most of the fisheries to shut down. But the ice on the bay and close to the shore­ line on the lake beyond, would generally attain sufficient thicknesses to allow ice fishing, enabling the year-round employment of a small number of fishermen. During the winter of 1894-95, for example, ap­ proximately 1,200 pounds of fish per day were taken by this method,43

Petroleum Refining

For the first ten years after the discovery of oil at Titusville,

Erie was a leading refining center and, at its peak, included 25 pro­ cessing plants. This prosperity did not last very long, however, as transportation facilities between the petroleum fields and the Triangle were poor and freight rates extremely high. During the early years of drilling, in fact, barrels of oil were hauled all the way into the

43Nolen» op. c it., p.226.

44Nelson, op. c i t . , p .473.

45Ib id . 180 region by team, a difficult and expensive task over rugged plateau country. Later, railroad connections were developed but routes between the two places were, as is still true in 1963, roundabout. As discovery continued, refineries were set up closer to the fields and, in 1867, a direct rail line from the Oil Creek area to Cleveland, Ohio, a growing refining center, was completed. Erie's share of the business was quickly lost.46

In addition to refining, however, the petroleum boom resulted in a large demand for drills, fittings, pipe and oil well machinery and

Triangle industries have supplied some of these needs right up to the

1 9 6 0 's,47

Because of these petroleum finds in nearby counties, many test wells were bored in the Erie area with little success. Oil and gas were often found but always in small quantities.4®

Ice Harvesting

One of the more interesting industries ever to develop in the region was the harvesting of bay ice. It provided for the safe storage of perishable food products through the Triangle's long, hot summer seasons and in the days before mechanical refrigeration, was the chief

46Erie County Unit of the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration, A Guide to the City and County, op. c it,, p p .27-8. 47 Nolen, op. c it., p.272. Aft Nelson, op. c it., p.73. 181 supplier of ice used in local coolingboxes.At the height of the season approximately 500 men were employed in the bay works, making it one of the largest businesses in the region. An average of 4500 tons were cut annually and, after being sawed and trimmed into blocks of uniform size, the finished ,Tgreen,T ice was carried by belts into nearby icehouses where it was stored in sawdust until needed. As the city of Erie grew, the pollution of Presque Isle harbor increased and it even­ tually became dangerous to use the natural ice so the industry was abandoned. 50

Old In d u strie s

Lumber and timber production, brewing and distilling, flour and grist milling, stove and furnace making, printing and publishing, and baking, all significant industries during the Canal Period, maintained their rank throughout the Railroad era. Each, in fact, continued to grow and closely followed the evolutionary pattern of the whole of manu­ facturing at the time—a declining number of establishments, increasing labor force and higher individual productivity. In 1860, they collec­ tively included a total of 165 firms with a combined employment of 391.

49 B ill Fowler, "Harvesting of Ice Was Once a Flourishing Business Here," Erie Dispatch Herald, Erie, June 10, 1944.

S0"Ice Cutting," Erie Dispatch Herald. Erie, February 7, 1894.

^United States Bureau of the Census, Manufacturing of the United States in 1860, op. c it., p.537. 182

By 1910, the number o f p la n ts dropped to 102 whereas the labor supply rose to 1,878.52

The bakery and stove and furnace in d u strie s were somewhat excep­ tional, in that even though the size of the separate companies became larger, there was an increase in the number of establishments.®3 This growth was primarily the result of the relative newness of the two enterprises. Although they had strong antecedents in the previous period, their development was s till embryonic and real expansion did not occur until after mid-century. Before this, baking was done in the home but as population increased and became more concentrated, urban marketing practices better developed, and inter-city transportation facilities improve^ a demand arose for commercially baked goods. The greater use of stoves and furnaces took place because: the rise of the foundry industry made it possible to secure basic metal products more cheaply; furnaces were more efficient heaters than fireplaces; new

railroad connections with southern coal fields resulted in the availa­ bility of large supplies of reasonably priced fuel and, finally, coal, not generally used in fireplaces, was a better fuel than wood.

The most notable structural change among these industries occurred

in the production of lumber and timber. During the previous period,

52United States Bureau of the Census, Thirteenth Census of the United States, Taken in the Year 1910, Volume IX. Manufactures! op. c i t . , p .1085.

53Ib id . 183 approximately 120 saw and planing m ills were scattered across the countryside, representing a strong carry-over from the Pioneer Period when mills were located along nearly every brook and stream in the area. At the time of the canal's greatest prosperity, these concerns averaged fewer than two employees apiece and almost exclusively served customers located in their immediate neighborhoods. Finally, with the coming of the railroad and the growth of urban manufacturing centers, the 150 year old system began to change its character. By the close of the period, fewer than 25 mills remained and their average employment had increased to about 23 persons.5^ Better machinery and improved transportation facilities made it possible for a single mill to serve a much larger area.

Discontinued Industries

Canal Period industries that were either discontinued or of too little importance to be included in the 1910 United States Census list of Erie County Manufactures were leather goods, clothing, and boots and shoes. At the height of their development these enterprises had em­ ployed nearly 300 persons and comprised 63 separate establishments.55

The major factor behind their decline may have been the introduction of rapid transportation connections with New York and New England which contained larger and more highly organized companies producing the same goods.

54Ib id .

55United State Bureau of the Census, Manufacturing of the United States in I860, op. c it., p.537. 184

The Relative Decline of Erie as a Lake Port

One of the most significant developments of this period was the beginning of the decline of Erie as one of the Great Lakes' principal ports. As late as 1880, the city had the third busiest port on Lake

Erie and, in that year, local docks handled an aggregate total of approx­

imately one and one-half million tons of coal, iron ore, lumber and general merchandise. Ashtabula and Conneaut together accounted for less than one-third as much business and Cleveland exceeded Erie's tonnage by only two-thirds. Yet within 20 years, the two smaller Ohio cities handled a combined tonnage that was three times as great as Erie's, and

Cleveland had a share that was over 100 percent greater.®6 This dis­ parity has continued and the Triangle's harbor, although still one of the b est on the lakes, is one of the le a s t used.

Numerous factors contributed to this declining commercial position.

(l)Man-made harbors were constructed at neighboring ports. In the early years of lake trade, Erie had the benefit of a naturally protected harbor whereas Cleveland, Ashtabula, Conneaut and Buffalo had compara­ tively unprotected waterfronts. Toward the end of the past century, engineering skill and improved materials and equipment reached a stage which made it practical to create artificial harbors for cities having situations which guaranteed sufficient commercial business to warrant the expense. This being the case, a breakwater was completed off

Cleveland's shore in 1883 and similar structures were constructed at

56Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Hall and MacDonald, op. c it., p.3. 185

Ashtabula and Conneaut shortly after.57 Buffalo's outer harbor, built

over a period of years, was begun in 1826 and finally finished with appropriations from the United States River and Harbor Act of July 25, CO 1912.° (2)Iron ore became the chief commodity carried on the Great Lakes. With the discovery of upper lakes iron deposits, opening of the

Sault Ste. Marie Canal and expansion of the Pittsburgh area steel indus­ tries, iron ore became the chief import of Lake Erie's major ports.59

Most of this ore moved southward and Erie was not as well situated in

relation to natural corridors as were Cleveland, Ashtabula and Conneaut.

To make matters worse, rail lines between the east coast and interior were completed, taking much of the immigrant business away from the

Great Lakes shipping companies and compelling Erie concerns to depend

even more completely upon the importation of iron ore fbr their liveli­

hood. (3)The technology of handling freight shipments improved so

rapidly that Erie, the oldest of the major ports, lost any historical

advantage that she might have had.60 (4)Bluffs between 50 and 150 feet

high, border the harbor along most of its length, making commerce

between the water front and lake plain proper, difficult. Previously,

this barrier was not so significant as lake cargoes were generally less

57I b id ., p .4. 58 United States Corps of Engineers, The Ports of Buffalo, New York, and Erie, Pennsylvania, op. c it., pp.6-10.

59Harlan Hatcher, Lake Erie, New York, 1945, p.317.

60l b i d .. p p .317-18. bulky and voluminous. The three major heavy commodities that were handled during earlier periods, salt, grain and coal, did not pose the problems brought on by the more massive supplies of iron ore. Salt was carried up the steep grade by sure-footed horse teams in a day when speed was relatively unim portantm ost of the grain was incoming and it was generally stored at the bay front and disposed of in smaller quantities;62 and coal was northbound, following the easier downgrade route. (S)Private interests gained an almost complete control over the development of the bay front. With the exception of state owned proper­ ty, the docks owned by the sand and gravel company at the foot of

Sassafras Street and the public steamboat landing, the Pennsylvania

Railroad owned all docking facilities and railway access routes to the harbor shore. The company had a monopoly of the business and a ll other enterprises had to lease from it. It is hard to assess what effect th is sin g u lar ownership had upon the development o f lo c a l commerce but such a system could have stifled competition and hindered overall econo­ mic progress. In 1941, a prominent planner encouraged the city to assume control over the waterfront area and to establish a public belt line railroad alor.g the shore in order to promote industrial growth.63

His recommendation was ignored and the situation has remained approxi­ mately the same up to the present. (6)East-bound trade increased in

6*Kelly, 'Wrecking of Mansion Recalls Life of W. L. Scott,” lo c. c i t .

62Nelson, op. c i t . . pp.421-22.

63Nolen, op. c i t , , p .43, 187

Conneaut

Fairport \ Harbor

Cleveland

^Pittsburgh / — 151 — Water Distance to in Miles 110 — Direct Distance to Pittsburgh in Miles ------State Boundary • Port Fig. 80. Relative Positions o f lake Erie Parte In Regards to Major Trade Routes between the Upper lakes Region and the Pittsburgh Indus­ trial Coupler. ______188

Importance, also giving Buffalo a situational advantage over Erie.

Buffalo not only received ships at a position which was closer to the east coast but had superior transportation connections in that direc­ tion. (7)Finally, although it is a difficult factor to evaluate or prove, complacency on the part of the local citizenry may have allowed competing urban centers to move ahead of Erie.

Recreation and Tourism

Presque Isle, presently the region's number one recreation center and tourist attraction, was developed and established as a public park during this period. For the first century of settlement, people did not have much leisure time; industrial workers labored from 10 to 12 hours a day and farmers were busy from sunup to sunset. The increased use of mechanization, particularly after the close of the Civil War, made it possible for both groups to produce more in less time, thus slowly shortening the duration of their work week. To facilitate the good use of this newly created leisure time, recreation centers were developed a t Four Mile Creek, Glenwood, Waldameer and Presque Is le . On several occasions, attempts were made to convert parts of Presque Isle, the most important among these, to other purposes. Plans, for example, were introduced to incorporate its inland portions into the industrial sector of the region:

This condition (its desirability as a picnic area) need not hinder, however, the use of a portion of the peninsula on the bay front for manufacturing purposes, as it will no doubt be easy to secure such concurrent legis­ lation by congress and the state legislature as may be necessary, In case public opinion should favor the same, as it no doubt will, should there be a strong demand for 189

this particular location by those seeking eligible sites for the manufacture of iron as now appears very profitable.6^

Although there were many reasons for the failure of these at­ tempts, the desire to maintain the sandy spit as a playground was certainly foremost among them.

Summary and Conclusions

During the course of the Railroad Period, the most transitional in the region's history, the cultural geographic character of northwest­ ern Pennsylvania underwent a su b stan tia l transform ation and the modern face of the Triangle began to take definite shape. The changes that occurred were too numerous to be listed in any kind of complete form but there were a number of significant developments which can be outlined.

(l)In regards to population: a)the last sizable surge of immigration spent itself and the present nationality composition of the Triangle evolved; b)the lake plain clearly became the center of population con­ centration, and the city of Erie, for the first time in the region's history, gained a majority of the total population; c)growth in Northeast Harborcreek and East Springfield was stimulated by the arrival of the railroads and, d)Fairview and Girard suffered a relative decline because of the abandonment of the canal. (2)Industry became the nunber one

6 4 An 1895 letter from Judge William A. Galbraith (prominent local citizen) to S. B. Nelson, quoted directly in his book: Nelson, op. cit.. p.175. The original letter has been lost.

i ranking economic activity in the area; companies decreased in number but separate establishments grew in size; producers, previously geared to serve the local populace, marketed an increasing volume of goods

extra-regionally. (3Agricultural specialization developed and the two major farming regions which presently exist in the area, the fruit and nut and general-dairy belts, became well defined. As a result of

the expansion in fruit production nearly all of the extensive lake shore

swamps were drained. Previously they had formed an approximately one-

half mile wide strip of muckland, extending from Twelve Mile Creek to

the Ohio state boundary. (4)In regard to the arrival of the railroad;

Ca)the Erie Extension Canal, unable to compete, closed and was filled in with earth;(b)the harbor front canal basin fell into disuse and slowly

silted up; (p)east-west transportation routes became more important than

north-south paths;(d)Erie's factory section became centralized between

Twelfth and Eighteenth streets, along principal trunk railways; (e)these same trunk railways, running east-west, retarded the southward growth

of Erie's central business district;(f)present rail access routes to

the bay area were fixed along Cascade and Two Mile creeks; (g)the

Pennsylvania Railroad Company gained almost complete control of the waterfront;{h)livestock carriage was taken over by the railroad, and

taverns and drove houses, formerly used by driving masters and their

crews, were converted into farm houses and,U)human mobility became

greater than in any preceeding period as trains traveled hourly among

the lake shore urban centers. (5)The region's relative share of Great Lakes' commerce declined sharply as th e o f in te r io r tra d e 191 gravitated westward toward the cities of northeastern Ohio. Prior to this period, the majority of trade came from the east and Erie was favorably situated for trans-shipping goods to the Pittsburgh area.

But, during the railroad era, iron ore and coal became the two principal commodities carried on the lakes with the former originating in the west and the latter being sent to the west. This situation put the Ohio cities closer to the direct line of raw material flow between the upper lakes and Ohio River valley, giving them a distinct commercial advantage over the Triangle. In addition, the topography to the south of Erie lacked the natural corridors which existed in northeastern Ohio.

(6)Because of the great need for lumber with which to make buildings, ships, vehicles and railroad ties, timber cutting reached an all time peak. By the turn of the century, approximately 65 percent of Erie

County had been cleared and with reforestation the percentage has been dropping ever since. (7paradoxically, almost all of Erie harbor's present docking facilities were completed during this era. They were also integrated for the first time as rail lines were built along the bay shore. (8pishing became one of the Triangle's leading enterprises and stimulated waterfront development at Erie, Elk Creek, Freeport and

Avonia. (9)Because of a increase in leisure time, a demand arose for the creation of outdoor recreation centers and the region's three major parks, Presque Isle, Glenwood and Waldameer were established. CHAPTER VI

THE MODERN PERIOD—AN ERA OF INDUSTRY: 1910-1963

S ettin g

In the twentieth century, sparked by the increasing prosperity of its domestic market and by the heavy demands related to participa­ tion in three wars, the United States became the world's greatest producer of industrial goods. This position marked the climax of a trend which had been manifest throughout most of the country's economic history. During the early years, primary production was dominant and agriculture, forestry, mining and fishing were the lead­

ing economic activities with manufacturing of little importance. But combining the wealth of technical know-how imported from Europe with the superlative raw material base of the new nation, industrialists began to prosper. Year after year manufacturing gained a larger and larger share of America's total economic output and, in the relatively short span of one-hundred years, became its principal economic activity.

The Erie region, now a part of the most highly developed manu­ facturing belt in the world, reflected this national trend in its economic growth. Though possessing one of the best natural harbors on the Great Lakes and having broad stretches of rich farming land along

192 193

Its lakeshore, the area, paradoxically, developed an Industrial capacity which, In 1963, fully dominates both commerce and agriculture.

Population

Extra-Regional Situation

The nation's population growth rate slowed considerably during

the Modern Period as both immigration and natural increase rates de­

clined. Immigration, at an all-time high in the Canal and Railroad

periods, dropped off sharply with the start of World War I in 1914.

The flow increased again for a brief period following the war but the

Federal Government stemmed the tide by passing legislation which placed

annual quotas upon individual source countries.-*- Since then, the

number of foreign newcomers a rriv in g in th e United S tates each year

has averaged less than one-tenth what it was throughout the previous

century. The slowing of the natural increase rate was related to the

mechanization of agriculture. Farmers became less dependent upon

family labor and large families ceased to be an economic asset.

Mass internal migrations, similar to those that occurred after the

opening oJ? the Erie Canal, the discovery of gold in California and the

abolishment of slavery in the south, were also less important during the

Modern Period, Immigrants entering the country after the turn of the

^Federal Immigration Acts of 1917, 1921 and 1929. o Sidney Kansas, United States Immigration, Deportation and Citizenship, New York, 1948, pp.78-79, 265-269. 194 century generally had no desire to seek opportunities in the communi­ ties of the Midwest and Far West. Being chiefly interested in industrial employment, they remained in the overcrowded, congested eastern popula­ tion centers, seldom going beyond the large cities in which they first s e ttle d .3

As a result of this diminist^ing immigration and internal migra­ tio n , lo cal populations generally became more s ta tic in th e ir characteristics. There was now little chance that large groups of o utsiders with d iffe re n t ideas and s k ills would move in to a community and greatly alter its whole cultural and economic structure as so often happened during the previous three periods. A high degree of demogra­ phic stability had finally been reached and the human contribution to economic growth in any p a rtic u la r region became somewhat more p red ict­ able.

1960 D istrib u tio n P attern

According to the United States Census for 1960, an estimated

215,474 persons live within the Triangle and the average population density is 682 per square mile.^ As can be seen from Figure 31, the distribution is very uneven. Over 190,000 of the total reside in the urban areas along the northwestern edge whereas the southeastern portion is relatively sparsely populated. Densities range from a high in Erie

3Ib id 1, p .264. 4 Erie County Planning Commission, Basic Survey and Research, op. c lt., p.30-1. POPULATION DISTRIBUTION

C ACM dot d c m r c sc m ts 100

Fig. 31. (After Erie County Planning Conmission) 196 of approximately 8,960 per square mile, to a low in the two southeastern townships of Greene and Venango where it averages only about 45 per square mile.® Within the "high density" lake plain area, density de­ creases as the distance from the city of Erie, toward the east and west, increases. On the plateau, discounting the places where major transportation routes cross, density decreases as the distance from the inner edge of the lake plain increases. A wedge of concentrated settle­ ment penetrates the upland just south of Erie in the northern sections of Green and Summit townships which have been recipients of large suburban migrations and are located along the north-south highways leading from Erie to the Greater Pittsburgh area.®

Modem Period Growth Rate

Contrary to the situation of the Railroad era when the region's population growth rate was slower than that for the state as a whole, during the Modern Period it was generally higher. For every decennial interval since 1910, for example, Erie County increased her share of

Pennsylvania's population and for the last twenty years has been grow­ ing at approximately twice the rate of the state.? This can largely be explained by the fact that northwestern Pennsylvania is economically

sBureau of the Census, United States Census of Population, 1960, United States Summary, Number~"of Inhabitants, Washington. 1961. p.92.

^Erie County Planning Commission, Basic Survey and Research, op. c it., p.30-1. 7 Erie County Planning Commission, Population Trends, Erie, 1960, p .3, 197 aligned with the Midwest which experienced a much greater prosperity and growth rate through the last half century than did the Appalachian region which dominates most of the rest of Pennsylvania.8 The relative decline of the state's coal and petroleum industries, of which the local area has no part, has been particularly responsible for this difference.

Increase rates were greatest during the World War decades, 1910-20 and 1940-50, when the number of in h ab ita n ts grew a t approximately th ree times the rate for the "peaceful" decades of 1920-40 and 1950-60.9

These high growth rates reflected the industrial character of the region.

Stimulated by the demands of the war effort, local manufacturing compa­ nies grew more rap id ly than in any previous period, providing many new jobs and attracting numerous workers from the surrounding, non-indus­ trial Appalachian "hill country."

The slowest growth rate, a low 3.2 percent, occurred between

1930 and 1940. This re ta rd a tio n was a re s u lt of the Great Depression which not only stifled urban job opportunities and slowed the rural- urban migration, but caused foreign emigration to exceed immigration for most of its duration,^

8The Federal Bureau of the Census considers the Erie area to be part of an economic region which embraces northeastern Ohio and north­ western Pennsylvania. (Bureau of the Census, United States Census of Population, I960, United States Summary, Number of Inhabitants, o p.cit., p.S-9.) 9 Erie County Planning Commission, Population Trends, op. c it., p .52.

10Ib id. 198

1960 Composition

The present nationality composition of northwestern Pennsylvania is similar to that of the nation as a whole. This may be the result of the fact that the region is very accessible from the east, particularly from New York where most immigrants enter the country, and lies upon what has been a major immigration route to the interior. Eight of the ten top-ranking countries from which the Erie area and the United States drew their immigrants were the same(See Table 3). The only nationally important group that is insignificant locally is that from Mexico. This is understandable in view of the fact that the Triangle is so far re­ moved from the border of that country. Most Mexican immigrants settle in the southern regions of the United States where the climate is more similar to that in their native land and where they can be closer to the relatives and friends who stayed behind.

TABLE 3

Rank Of Foreign Born, 1960

E rie SMA Nation 1. Poland Italy 2. I ta ly Poland 3. Germany Soviet Union 4. Canada Germany 5. Czechoslovakia Canada 6. A ustria England 7. Sweden Irelan d 8. Irelan d Mexico 9. Soviet Union A ustria 10. Hungary Sweden

(Source: United States Bureau of the Census) 199

Whereas a large percentage of local inhabitants during the

Railroad Period were foreign bom, only about 4,8 percent were natives of other countries in 1960.**

Racially the region is quite homogenous as only 2.8 percent of the population is non-white.*^

Routes of Travel

Because transportation facilities between the Triangle and the east coastal area did not change very much between the turn of the cen­ tury and the present, it is probable that the great majority of new settlers entered the region via the same routeways in the Modern Period as they did during the Railroad era. The leading pathways were New

York C entral, Pennsylvania and Erie ra ilro a d s; highways numbered 5, 8,

19 and 20(See Fig.32). Two modem expressways, the Pennsylvania

Turnpike and New York Thruway, were added to the trans-Appalachian road­ ways but because both were constructed after immigration into the

Triangle had practically stopped, they had little impact upon the growth rate or composition of the region's population. Air transport facili­ ties were also introduced during the period but because the routes from the east are roundabout and expensive, it is unlikely that many immi­ grants entered the area in this manner.

"^Bureau of the Census, Erie, Pa., Standard Metropolitan Statis­ tical Area, Washington, 1961, p.13.

12 Bureau of the CensuB, United States Census of Population, 1960, Pennsylvania, General Population Characteristics, Washington, 1962. p .176. 200 PRINCIPLE TRANSPORTATION ROUTES LIRE •ORT •ORT ACCESS ROAD •0 * 0 CITT TOWNSHIP LINE US US r l STATE ROUTES (A fter Erie County Planning Ccmnission)

Fig. 32- 201 Agriculture

Introduction

The relative decline of agriculture in the economy of northwestern Pennsylvania which began in the latter portion of the Railroad era, continued through the Modern Period. Between 1910 and 1960 th e area of land in farms diminished by approximately 40 percent, from 447,691 to

269,668 acres; the number of farms decreased by about 60 percent, from

5511 to 2511; and the percentage of the total population engaged in

IQ agriculture dropped from five to one. Contrary to the situation of the previous period when its agricultural rank within the state rose 9 places, Erie County fell from 7th to 11th position among

Pennsylvania's 65 counties in regards to total value of farm product.14

Even with these changes, the a re a 's 1960 a g ric u ltu ra l land use pattern is, with few exceptions, similar to that established during the Railroad Period. There are two clearly recognizable farming regions which coincide rather closely with the Triangle's major physiographic subdivisions, the Erie Lake Plain and the Allegheny Plateau. The lake plain, with its lake tempered climate is largely devoted to the growing of fruits and vegetables whereas dairying and general farming predomi­ nate on the upland, a place of more rugged topography and greater climatic extremes(See Fig, 33).

13 Bureau of the Census, Thirteenth Census of the United States, Taken in the Year 1910, Volume~VlI, Agriculture, o p .c it.» p.452 and Bureau oi; the Census, United States Census of Agriculture, 1959, Pennsylvania, Counties, op. c it., p.132.

14Ibid., pp.452-472 and Ibid., p.154. 202

The F ruit and Vegetable B elt

The Fruit and Vegetable Belt is an approximately six-mile wide

strip that runs along the Triangle's entire lake front. It rests upon

a series of three glacio-lacustrine terraces which rise step-like

toward the interior. The innermost and highest of these former-lake-

bed levels, abuts against the northwest facing escarpment which marks

the edge of the Allegheny Plateau. The climate of the plain is modified

by the lake and has a longer and more predictable growing season than

does the plateau(See Fig. 14).^ Within this lake plain section there

is a recognizable division in the concentration of fruit and vegetable

production as most of the vineyards and orchards are located east of the

city of Erie and the majority of vegetable farms are situated to its west.

F ru it

Fruit products account for nearly seven times as much of the

county's farm income as do vegetables and rank second only to dairying

in regards to total agricultural income. The principal fruits produced

are, in order of dollar value, grapes, cherries, peaches, apples, plums and pears.^ The first two have increased steadily in importance since

their introduction in the latter part of the Railroad Period; the others

"^The physical character of these two regions is discussed in greater detail in Chapter 1, pp.28-67.

16 Soil Survey, Erie County Pennsylvania, op. c it., p.113. AGRICULTURAL REGIONS

* •*** »**»| r * •**% *** » « V ^ iw*>.vv *y«.

l> «■ L i t (After Erie County Planning Comnission) IO o Co have steadily decreased.T his change in emphasis can largely be explained by the fact th at peaches, apples, plums and pears can be grown under a greater variety of climatic conditions and competition from other areas is much more keen than it is with that of grapes and cherries which, because of their narrower climatic limitations, are more restricted in areal distribution. Because of these critical limitations, the increasing demand for these crops has resulted in an intensification of their production. Although grape acreage remained about the same from 1910 through 1960, for example, output rose from T R in 18,927,730 to 46,525,285 pounds over the same period of time. 9 Some of this greater efficiency resulted from an over-all improvement in agricultural methods but it was primarily caused by the relocation of many vineyards from marginal growing areas to those with better soil and climatic conditions closer to the lake.^0

Vegetable Truck Farming

Vegetable truck crops are a far less important source of regional income than fruit products but, nevertheless, approximately 7500 acres

17Bureau of the Census, Thirteenth Census of the United States, Taken in the Year 1910, Volume'TIl, Agriculture, op. c it., pp.452-459 and Bureau of the Census, United States Census of Agriculture, 1959, Pennsylvania, Counties, op. c it., pp.146-151.

l ^ Ib id ., f i r s t work cited above, p .466. 19 Bureau of the Census, United States Census of Agriculture. 1959, Ranking Agricultural Counties, Special Reports, Washington, 1961, p .80. 20 The Erie Workbook for Community Development A ction, op. c i t . , p .74. 205 are devoted to their growth. Although located on both the lake plain and plateau, the greatest concentration of vegetable farms is on the lake plain to the west of the city of Erie. There are two significant reasons for this western location: (l)competition for land with fruit farmers is less here than to the east of the city and the cost of land is lower, and (2)the soils are better drained than in the east, contri­ buting to an early planting and harvesting of the vegetable crops, making it possible to sell them when market prices are high.

In regards to the value of products sold, asparagus and beans are the principal vegetables raised on the lake plain whereas potatoes, cabbage and cauliflower lead on the plateau.^

The General Agriculture-Dairy Farming Belt

General agriculture and dairying prevail over the interior of the region and occupy a portion of the glaciated section of the Allegheny division of the Appalachian Plateau. Physical conditions here are more rigorous than along the lake shore but the area is, nevertheless, com­ posed of fairly good agricultural land. The growing season averages between 150 and 170 days and the topography, subdued somewhat by gla­ ciation, is generally flat enough to be cultivated or used for grazing.^

21 Soil Survey, Erie County Pennsylvania, op. c it., p.114.

on *‘Erie County Planning Commission, Basic Survey and Research, op. c it., p.20-H. 206

Dairying

Although Erie County is best known for its vineyard and orchard products, dairying accounts for a larger share of its farm income than

AO does fruit. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, in fact, considers the whole region to be part of the Northwestern Pennsylvania 24 Dairy Area.

As was true throughout most of the eastern part of the country, dairying rose to prominence during the Modern Period. Local production 25 doubled between 1910 and 1960. This rise was coincident with the introduction of high speed highways which made it possible to market fresh milk and milk products in the growing population centers of Erie and Pittsburgh.26

Poultry and Livestock

Poultry production, also concentrated on the plateau, expanded in close association with dairy farming. It never achieved the promi­ nence of the latter, however, and, although Erie, the state's third largest urban center is nearby and Pittsburgh, the second largest, is

23 Bureau of the Census, United States Census of Agriculture, 1959, Pennsylvania, Counties, op. c it., pp.146-157.

2Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Types of Farming in Pennsylvania, Bulletin 479, Harrisburg, 1946. 25 Erie County Planning Commission, Basic Survey and Research, op. c it., p.59.

^6E. W. M iller , op. c i t . , p .136. 207 only several hours away by truck, Erie County ranked a low 21st among

Pennsylvania's poultry producers in 1 9 6 0 .Several factors have contributed to this paradox: (l)Poultry farmers must compete with other kinds of agricultural specialties for the use of the land and most of the fertile lake plain, which is best located in regards to

Triangle urban markets, is used for the more lucrative fruit and truck farming; (2)area producers are geared to serve the nearby market and have shown little interest in extra-regional sales; and (3)area flocks, although numerous, are generally small and individual farmers have a difficult time competing with the prices of larger, outside producers that serve many of the local supermarkets.^® Other livestock raised on the plateau are, in order of numerical importance: cattle and calves, hogs and pigs, sheep and horses. None of these groups plays a major part in the region's over-all agricul­ tural economy and their collective value has slowly declined since the introduction of fruit, vegetable and dairy farming into the area. In

1960 only four percent of Erie County's farms were devoted to the ex­ clusive production of these livestock specialties.^

27 Bureau of the Census, United States Census of Agriculture, 1959, Pennsylvania, Counties, o p ^ cit., pp.146-151.

O f t E. W. Miller, op. c it., p.136.

29Bureau of the Census, United States Census of Agriculture, 1959, Pennsylvania, Counties, op. c it., p.154. 208

Plateau Crops

The importance of dairying on the plateau is generally reflected in the kinds of crops which are raised there. While some cash crops are produced, most of those grown are fed to the dairy herds. Chief among these are hay, com and oats. Late maturing vegetables, parti­ cularly potatoes, cabbage and cauliflower are the top ranking cash crops and they are usually grown on the best of the upland soils.30

Nursery Farming

The most significant new agricultural specialty to be introduced into the area during the Modem Period was nursery fanning. In 1955, horticultural products raised on 85 nurseries, collectively covering

1,185 acres, accounted for approximately eight percent of Erie County's total farm income. Trees, shrubs, vines and ornamentals ranked highest among the products sold with cut flowers, potted plants, florist greens and bedding plants of lesser value.31 The industry expanded most rapidly after World War II as a result of the increased demand for nursery stock caused by the suburban movement and home-building boom of the post war era. Home sites were larger beyond the urban fringes and there was more room for the planting of shrubs and trees. Competition among builders was keen and well-landscaped properties were used to

30 Soil Survey, Erie County, Pennsylvania, op. c it., p.114.

31Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Pennsylvania Crops and Livestock, Annual Summary, 1959, op. c it., p.81. 209 lure prospective buyers. Home owners themselves, in order to "get closer to nature, increase their physical exercise and keep up with the Joneses," spent more and more time and money on nursery products.

In the last ten years, the desire to beautify the natural surroundings of industrial plants, public schools, public buildings and highway systems has further contributed to the nursery industry's growth.

Although nursery farms are located on both the lake plain and plateau, there is a distinct difference in their character between the two regions. Those on the lake plain, because of their proximity to urban areas, are generally smaller in size and specialize in ornamentals and landscape shrubbery; plateau nurseries, located on less valuable land, are more extensive and feature Christmas trees and tree seed- lings. 32 On the plateau the introduction of Christmas trees made it possible to use profitably marginal land which had been steadily aban­ doned over the years because of its inefficiency. In addition, these "tree farms" help preserve the soil on the steeper slopes and provide a natural refuge for wildlife.

Farm Structure

The trend toward the domination of local agriculture by the large commercial farms, begun in the latter part of the Railroad era, became nearly complete during the Modern Period. The small family farm, which

32 Erie County Planning Commission, Land Use Patterns, Erie, 1960, p .4 . had been the mainstay of the region's agriculture throughout most of its history, has practically disappeared from the landscape and those few that still remain have a difficult time selling their products. This is largely the result of the fact that the marketing of agricul­ tural goods is being done, increasingly, through large corporations, which buy for chain stores and other mass outlets. Buyers prefer to deal with volume producers who can supply a high percentage of their needs. The development of co-operatives, particularly in the Northeast area, has helped some of the smaller farmers to overcome this problem.

This shift away from the small, family farm has also caused a significant change in the source of the farm labor supply. A decreasing percentage of the labor force is made up of farm children. An esti­ mated 80 to 90 percent of the children raised on area farms now leave home to seek better-paying non-farm jobs.33 As a result, there has been a growing dependence upon part-time workers, both migratory and local. The former are primarily Puerto Ricans and Texicans34 recruited from the labor pools which move annually along the eastern branch of the Mid­ western migratory labor stream; the latter are generally junior and senior high school children and middle-aged adult women. These

33The Erie Workbook fo r Community Development A ction, op. c i t . . p .75.

^^Texican is the name sociologists apply to those naturalized American citizens of Mexican descent who live in the state of Texas in the winter and move northward along migratory labor streams during the rest of the year. Because of stringent Federal regulations con­ tr o llin g the employment of Mexican N ationals, very few are ever used in the region. 211 transient workers are employed primarily during the late summer and early fall and are used to help in the picking of fruits and vegetables, the tying of grape vines and in a variety of jobs within the canneries and packing houses.

In recent years the supply of seasonal labor has not kept pace with the growing demand. Because of pressure exerted by religious and social welfare groups, farmers have been forced to improve the transpor­ tation, shelter and employment conditions of migratory workers, causing expenses to rise sharply. In addition, changes in social attitudes have caused students to lose interest in working on farms, further add­ ing to the plight of the farmer who depends so heavily upon seasonal workers during his peak harvest periods.

In d u stry

Introduction

Nine significant developments occurred in the industrial sector of the region's economy during the Modem Period. (l)Industry strength­ ened its position as the dominant economic activity and, in 1960, embraced a larger portion of the labor force than any other sector of the economy. (2)Heavy, primary industries, which so strongly charac­ terized the Railroad Period, declined in relative importance and manufacturing became more diversified. (3)The two largest and most influential industrial plants in northwestern Pennsylvania, along with a number of other less important factories were established. (4)Several previously important industries declined and went out of business. 212

(S)The fishing industry, a mainstay in the economy during the previous period, declined and became relatively unimportant in the region's economy. (6)The factory district, although remaining somewhat fixed along the major railroad routes where it formed during the previous period, became more dispersed toward the east and west and became less definable than during the Railroad era. (7)The emphasis toward fewer and larger factories, begun during the Railroad Period, continued as individual establishments grew in size, covering more of the region's total area and employing a larger percentage of its labor force.

(8)Regional interdependence became greater as local producers became more and more geared to extra-regional suppliers and markets; inte­ gration with the economies of the state and nation became more complete.

(9)A series of community sponsored industrial parks were constructed for the dual purpose of luring new industry into the area and more care­ fully planning for the future situation of factories within the region.

The Rise o f Industry to Dominence

Stimulated by the great demands related to the war efforts of

World Wars I and II and by the introduction into the area of one of the

General Electric Corporation's largest factories, industry came to dominate th e economy o f th e region during th e Modern Period. I t began its rise to prominence during the days of the canal and, led by the development of the Erie foundry complex, continued to increase its share of local economic activities throughout the Railroad era. Today, on a relative basis, the Erie Standard Metropolitan Area is the most indus­ trial in Pennsylvania. Approximately 41 percent of the total labor force 213 is engaged in manufacturing compared to Pittsburgh's 37 percent and Philadelphia18 even lower 36 percent.3® The intensity of this industrial nature is further demonstrated by the fact that, although ranking 125th among United States’ Standard Metropolitan Areas in population,36 the Erie region stands a much higher 68th in regards to her percentage share of the nation's manu­ facturing output.37

1960 Industrial Structure In 1958 there were 428 industrial establishments in the Erie region, employing 34,858 persons. These industries had a total out­ put valued at $622,154,300 of which $308,019,000 was considered to value added by manufacturing. The average value added per individual worker was $200 higher than for the state as a whole, reflecting the

QQ higher than average technical level of Erie industries.00

The trend toward larger factories begun during the Railroad Period, continued through the Modem era. Although there was an

35 Bureau of the Census, United States Census of Population, 1960. Pennsylvania, General Social and Economic Characteristics, op. c it.I g* 40-321. 36 Bureau of the Census, Census of Population, 1960, County and C ity Data Book, Washington, 1962, p .312.

37Taken from a map made by the Business and Defense Services Administration, United States Department of Commerce, based on data from the United States Bureau of the Census and United States Bureau of Old Age and Survivor's Insurance: Location of Key Manufacturing Market Centers, 1960. 38Bureau of the Census, United States Census of Manufactures, 1958, Vol. Ill, Area Statistics, op. c it., pp.37-4, 37-5 and 37-7. 214 increase in the number of establishments from 372 to 428, the average amount of space covered by individual companies multiplied by three and one-half times between 1910 and 1960 and the average size of their labor force”became three times as large.39 This growth was primarily the result of the increasing inter-regional economic dependence that occur­ red after the widespread development of high speed transportation facilities. The corporate giants had emerged in American industry; small companies could not compete with the scale economies and greater research efforts of the big operators.

A high diversification of industrial types, characteristic of the region during the Canal Period before declining somewhat in the Railroad

Period, again typified the industrial structure in 1960. The largest single industrial specialty, electrical machinery, for example, employs only approximately 13 percent of the total manufacturing labor force.40

This is in sharp contrast to the previous period when the leading industry, foundry and associated machine shop services, employed nearly half of the region's factory workers.4-*- This variety in the present structure is made possible by the superior quality of the area's extra- regional transportation facilities which enable local companies to draw

39 Bureau of the Census, Census of Population, I960, County and City Data Book, op. c it., pp.314-317.

40Bureau of the Census, United States Census of Manufactures. 1958, Vol. Ill, Area Statistics, op. c it., pp.37-15 and 37-16.

^Bureau of the Census, Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910, Volume IX, Manufactures, p .1102. 215 from a much wider raw material base and to serve a greater market area with their finished products. Cleveland, Buffalo and Pittsburgh, for example, can all be reached by both rail and highway in less than three hours.

On the basis of employment, the five most significant kinds of local manufacturing are, in order of importance: electrical machinery, fabricated metal products, non-electrical machinery, primary metals and transportation equipment.^

New Industries

During the industrial boom of the last fifty years many new com­ panies and types of industries were established in the region. All played a part in the development of its 1960 industrial character but two were outstanding: The General Electric and Hammermill Paper com­ pan ies.

General Electric

Ever since opening at its Lawrence Park site in 1911, the General

Electric Company has been the Erie area's most significant industrial establishment. The choice of an Erie location by one of the nation's giant industrial enterprises demonstrated faith in the geographical and economic advantages of the area and encouraged other companies to locate

Bureau of the Census, United States Census of Manufactures, 1958, Vol. Ill, Area Statistics, op. c it., pp.37-4, 37-5 and 37-7. 216

here. The most important advantages considered by the company were:

nearness to the growing Midwestern market, availability of land near

a large labor pool and a plentiful water supply.4^

Today the huge industrial complex covers more area, represents

a larger capital investment, has a greater annual gross production

value and employs more people than any other industry in northwestern

Pennsylvania. The company is primarily responsible for the region's

high volume of production in e le c tric a l machinery and tran sp o rtatio n

equipment, the first and fifth ranking employers in the Erie Standard

M etropolitan A rea.44

Hammermill

Although founded before the close of the Railroad Period, the

Hanmermill Paper Company was relatively small and had little impact upon

lo c a l industry u n til a f te r i t began making bond paper in 1911. Today

the company is the largest in the world specializing in the manufacture

of bond and writing paper. It has been one of the most stable indus­ tries in the region and, as was true with General Electric, its leaders

attribute much of its success to certain favorable geographic factors

existing in the Erie area: large expanses of flat land for factory devel­

opment; proximity to sources of coal; nearness to Lake Erie which both

43The information was taken from an industrial questionnaire submitted to an received from the administrative offices of the com­ pany in 1961. A copy of the questionnaire is included as Appendix A.

44Ib id . 217 provides great quantities of relatively soft, fresh water for the paper manufacturing process and is a ready dumping area for liquid waste material; low-cost water transport access to Canadian ports which export

spruce and other forest raw materials needed in the paper industry; a central location between the markets of the Midwest and East, and good

railroad connections with both areas.

Discontinued Industries

Significant Railroad-Period industries that either declined

greatly or were discontinued during the Modern Period were (l)oil

refining—put out of business when refineries were developed closer to

the Pennsylvania oil fields and when direct railroad routes to Cleveland were completed, providing access to its lake-side refineries; (2)ice

harvesting—stopped when pollution of Presque Isle Bay by sewage and

industrial wastes from the growing city of Erie became sufficiently

great to make the use of natural ice an unhealthy practice; (3)flour

and grist milling—small, local mills were unable to compete with the

more specialized milling giants of Buffalo and the Midwest once the

development of modern transportation facilities made the Erie area ac­

cessible to their products; (4)brickmaking—stone generally replaced

brick as the principal finishing material for the area's commercial

This information was obtained through correspondence with the administrative office of the company in 1959 and 1960. 218

and public buildings;^6 (5)stove and furnace making—companies were

either forced out of business by larger, outside competitors or moved

to other places in search of better business conditions; (6)iron foun­

dries—declined after losing most of their markets to steel producers whose advantage was enhanced by the introduction into steel-making of

the Bessemer and open hearth methods of production and, finally,

(7)fishing—dropped off primarily because of a sharp decrease in the

availability of the most commercially desirable species of fish.

Fishing^7

Fishing, an important source of food for the Indian tribes and

early white settlers who lived in the area and a major industry during

the Canal and Railroad eras, rose to its highest level of productivity

in the early part of the Modem Period and then began a gradual decline

which has generally continued through 1963. It is difficult to

determine exactly the start of this decline because the lake yields a

great variety of saleable fish and the commercial history of each has

been more or less unique. For example, Blue Pike production reached its

peak of 3,680,999 pounds in 1931—dropped to 500 pounds by 1962; the

46 House construction trends had little to do with the rise or decline of the industry because bricks have seldom been used as a home- building material in the Erie area. Wood has been the principal finishing product.

^Because it reached its highest level of production during the Modem Period and because of its long standing importance throughout much of the area's history, fishing is treated here in some detail even though the business has recently declined. '219

Lake Herring catch reached an a ll time high of 2,936,336 pounds at a much la te r d a te , 1946—dropped to such a low le v e l In 1962 th a t no com­ mercial catches were reported; the take of Lake Erie Whitefish attained a top figure of 1,728,345 pounds in 1949—dropped to 1,500 by 1962.

On the other hand, increasingly larger catches of several species have occurred in recent years: the 1962 take of Yellow Perch was the highest on record at 2,048,500 pounds; the commercial catch of Walleyes was best in 1959, registering 93,145 pounds and the smelt haul, at present growing most rapidly of all, totaled 73,400 pounds in 1 9 6 2 . Even with these latter cases of improvement, the combined fishery production of 2,150,000 pounds in 1962®° was far short of the more than 20,000,000 pound total taken per annum in the early nineteen-hundreds.®1 The timing of the decline is further indicated by the official record of the number of fishing nets which the state government issued over the years to boats operating out of Pennsylvania ports. The greatest num­ ber, 303, were given out in 1915, and after that the total began to

^®The true climax of the decades of superlative whitefish catches actually occurred in 1925 and for twenty years after that date, hauls were small. In the late forties, however, an improved nylon net was introduced, enabling the trapping of thousands of oversized fish that had been strong enough to break through the older, weaker webbing used previously. The number of these big fish was depleted in several seasons and the total whitefish catch dropped off once again.

^Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, United States Department of the Interior, Preliminary Report, Great Lakes Fisheries, 1962, Catch by States. Washington,'1963, p.l.

50Ib id .

Stolen, op. c it., p.226. 220 decrease, reaching a low of 81 in 1959,5^ in the same span of years the number of vessels in the fishing fleet shrunk from 130 to 12; the number of fish houses from 12 to 1; and the total labor force, from

600 to 2 1 .53

Seven principal reasons can be given for this decline: (l)As shown by the data on the previous page, there has been a pronounced shift in the composition of the Lake Erie fish stock with a numerical drop in the more economically desirable fish and an increase in the lower priced and less desirable species.54 The problems here is made even more acute by the fact that while the vessels used for harvesting the diminishing species can also be used for those on the upgrade, different equipment must be used and the changeover is expensive.

(2)The local demand for fresh fish has decreased considerably and the bulk of the Erie area catch is now sold in the more competitive whole­ sale markets of larger urban centers such as New York, Chicago and

52 The E rie Workbook fo r Community Development A ction, op. c i t . , p . 88. 53 Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, United States Department of the Interior, Great Lakes Fisheries, 1961, Washington, 1962, p.15.

54The decline in whitefish and herring was primarily climati­ cally induced. In the wintertime these species of fish migrate to the western end of the lake to spawn. This area is most desirable because it is shallow, averaging about 25 feet, and freezes over nearly everycold season. This ice cover keeps the bottom from being churned up by wave action, protecting the spawn and allowing its normal development. Mild winters occurred during the years 1924 through 1926 and the whitefish and herring spawns were almost totally destroyed. During these years, however, fishermen did not cut down on th e ir catches of th e f u ll grown members of th ese species and, because hauls were heavy, the herring and whitefish schools were greatly reduced. Detroit.55 Because of relatively lighter catches, a shorter fishing season, smaller and less efficient processing plants and greater trans­ portation costs, lake fisheries must sell their products for a higher price than those from marine fisheries and are therefore put in an unfavorable bargaining position. (3)In the few cases where a specia­ lized demand for fresh water fish does exist, local producers are often undersold by Canadian fishing companies which, because of lower labor costs, procure and process their fish more cheaply.56 (4)The combined total of all commercial species of fish in Lake Erie has been diminished by the lack of substantial conservation controls. Pollution, parti­ cularly in the important spawning area near the western end of the lake, is increasing and is injurious to both fish and fish food.5^ In order to share in the high prices that can be gained by marketing catches early, lake fishermen begin operating around March 1 and catch large numbers of fish which would have dropped their spawn around the middle

55Ira Carr and A lfred Larsen, "The Major Problems Facing Lake Erie Commercial Fisheries, 1960," an unpublished mimeographed report jointly prepared by the Federal Bureau of Conmercial Fisheries and the Pennsylvania Fish Commission for use by Lake Erie fisheries.

56Ib id . 57 T. H. Langlois, "The Effect of Lake Erie Pollution upon the Fishing Industry," an unpublished paper delivered at the annual meeting of the East Lakes Division of the Association of American Geographers, Bowling Green, Ohio, 1960. 2 2 2

PLATE VII

f

Fig. 34* Even though coomerclal fishing In the Erie area has declined, sport fishing has increased in popularity. Catches of this quantity can be made in one hour or less if the fishing conditions are right.

Fig- 35. This locker is an example of the great variety of boat storage and launching facilities located along the Erie lake shore. 223 of April. There is no limit on the size or type of fish that can be taken and potential reproducers are never thrown back.58

A marked improvement in the technical efficienty of local fish­ eries and the introduction of stern conservation measures may help the industry to regain its importance but, presently, it is of little economic consequence to the region.

Factory District

The most notable change in the character of the factory district to occur during the modern period, has been the shift of many industries from urban to suburban locations. Twenty companies have moved a ll or portions of their activities outside of the city of Erie and several new companies, locating in the region for the first time, have also established their enterprises in these same fringe areas.59 Recently this outward movement has been caused by the suburban location of newly organized "industrial parks" but most of the relocation took place be­ fore their formation and was induced by other factors. Chief among these were: tax advantages and lower utility costs provided by the bor­ oughs and townships in the suburban areas; more and cheaper space which

58These data, as well as other background information on the local fishing industry, were obtained in a series of interviews with the Erie Harbormaster, Mr. John Lampe, whose fam ily was involved in th e Erie fishery business for nearly 50 years. June and September, 1963.

In d u s tria l D ivision, E rie Chamber o f Commerce, Business Climate Survey of Metropolitan Erie, Pennsylvania, Erie, 1958, p.18. 224

TABLE 4

Campanies Which Have Transferred All Or Portions Of Their Manufacturing Operations From Erie To Suburban Locations Since 19SO

Company New Location Approximate Employment. American Sterilizer MillcreekTwp. 400 Applied Plastics (Keystone Brass) Lake C ity 80 Autoclave Engineers M illcreek Twp. 75 Dunlap Printing M illcreek Twp. 11 Erie Burial Case M illcreek Twp. 50 Erie Ceramic Arts M illcreek Twp. 30 F en estra M illcreek Twp. 190 Gilsen Manufacturing M illcreek Twp. 5 Gloeckler Manufacturing M illcreek Twp. 22 Lake Erie Electric MillcreekTwp. 52 Parker White Metal Fairview 50 Penelec M illcreek Twp. 350 Perry Plastics MillcreekTwp. 175 Presque Isle Paper Products MillcreekTwp. 27 Tri Penn Tool Company M illcreek Twp. 12 Snap-Tite Union C ity 90

(Source: Greater Erie Chamber of Commerce) 225 made it possible to construct generally more efficient and attractive one-floor factories with more adequate and convenient parking facili- t i e s . 60 As was true during the previous period, most of these new plants were located along the east-west railroad trunk lines; thus the factory district of the region remained on the lake plain and maintained its linear shape and east-west orientation but became somewhat more dis­ persed along these lines. General Electric, the largest company to move into the area during the Modem Period, located to the east of Erie where industrial development had previously been slight. This tended to balance the middle of the factory belt as earlier growth, greatly affected by the situation of the Erie Extension Canal, was concentrated to the west of the city.

Pioneer industries were scattered fairly evenly over the whole region, lake plain and plateau alike, but from the advent of the Canal era up through the present, the geographic advantages of. a lake plain site have become more and more apparent: (l)The flat plain is a good natural base upon which to construct transport media and the most im­ portant of the region's thoroughfares have historically been, and still are, concentrated here; (2Approximately 75 percent of the region's population lives on the plain, making it both the better market place

60Erie County Planning Commission, Basic Survey and Research, op. c i t . , p .52. and better source of laborj (3)its table-like topography is more desir­ able for the building of spacious industrial plants with their associated parking lots, transportation access routes, dumping grounds and storage areas; (4)climatically the plain is more mild and the difference is particularly important in the winter when heavy snowfalls render the hilly plateau roads nearly impassable; and (S)the lake is the area's chief source of water and the cost of obtaining it increases toward the interior, rising sharply at the plateau's edge as a result of the rise of 100 feet or more which has to be overcome by electrical pumps.

Industrial Parks

In an attempt to attract new industries into the area and to plan wisely the future locations of plants within the region, industrial parks have been developed at Erie and Lake City. These efforts have generally been sponsored by non-profit corporations made up of prominent businessmen who collectively hope to improve the local industrial economy. This movement is similar to the "bootstrap" operation initia­ ted after World War II in the depressed anthracite region of eastern

Pennsylvania.

Because they are small and have generally been located near desirable residential areas these parks are best designed for light and light-medium types of industry. This is consistent with the character of the area's present industrial capacity and labor pool.^ 227

Major Geographical Advantages of the Region for Industrial Location

On the basis of data obtained from answers on questionnaires sent to thirteen of the region's principal industrial establishments, the following were found to be the most significant geographical advantages of the Erie area—the number of companies considering each factor to be of importance is given in parenthesis: abundant fresh water supply (11), adequate labor supply (10), good extra-regional transportation facilities (9), central location in regards to national market areas (7), a good local market (6).62

Port of Erie

Continued Decline

The port of Erie, which declined in commercial importance during the Railroad era, remained at a low economic ebb throughout the Modern

Period. Passenger and package freight service, accounting for much of the port's business during the first thirty years of the present period, practically ceased after the advent of World War II. Changes in compe­ titive methods of shipment and travel are such that little prospect exists for the re-establishment of these services. This means that the greatest potential for increased business lies in the handling of bulk

62 Questionnaires were sent to the 36 area industries which em­ ployed 200 or more workers. Even though only 15 of the questionnaires were returned, they were generally from large establishments which collectively employ approximately 12,000 workers. This represents about 35 percent of the region's total labor force. 228

PLATE V III

Fig. 36. The Mehler Bottling C o m p a n y , a small, light indus­ try, is typical of the kind of manufacturing enterprise that has been attracted to the Erie industrial park.

Fig. 37. The great intensity of use of the newly opened Pennsylvania section of Interstate Route 90 is demonstrated by the crowded conditions at the gas station pictured above. This is a common scene at the half dozen truck stops located along the Triangle's portion of the road. 229 freight, another area of recent decline. The total import-export bulk business, which averaged 6,154,554 tons annually between 1950 and

1959,6® dropped to 2,542,314 tons in 1961.6^ Iron ore, which was once imported in large quantities for transshipment to Pennsylvania steel m ills, is now brought in only when needed to supply a single local blast furnace. A prosperous iron ore trade which averaged approximately

3,000,000 tons per year throughout the preceeding decade,6® fell off to 251,251 tons in 1961.66 This decline was primarily caused by the rising importance of Labrador and Venezuela ores which are shipped directly by ocean freighter to mills which previously used upper lakes ore. In addition, many grain boats which formerly transferred their cargoes to southbound and eastbound railroads at Eria and other lake *• ports, now go directly to foreign destinations via the St. Lawrence 67 Seaway. Erie grain business which averaged 77,542 tons annually

63 United Slates Army Corps of Engineers, Great Lakes Harbors Study, Second Interim Report on Erie Harbor, Pennsylvania, Washington, 1961, p.17.

6*United States Army Corps of Engineers, Waterborne Cortimerce of the United States, Calendar Year 1961, Part 3, Waterways and Harbors, G reat L akes, W ashington, 196&. p .l7 6 .

65United States Army Corps of Engineers, Great Lakes Harbors Study, Second Interim Report on Erie Harbor, Pennsylvania, loc. cit.

6^United S ta te s Army Corps o f E n g in eers, W aterborne Commerce o f the United States, Calendar Year 1961, Part 3, Waterways and Harbors', Great Lakes, op. c i t . , p .175.

67Great Lakes Commission, Great Lakes News L etter, Vol. VII, No. 6, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1963, p.6, PLATE IX

Fig, 38. Fourteen empty sets of railroad track located along the western bay front, clearly reflect the commer­ cial decline of the port of Erie.

Fig. 39. Because of its spacious size and relatively calm water, Presque Isle Bay is one of the Great Lakes1 Impor­ tant winter anchoring places. 231 between 1950 and 1957, dropped off to the very low average of 4,195 tons for the first three years after the opening of the Seaway.**8

Foreign Commerce *—

Even with i t s negative e ffe c t on E rie’s grain business, the St.

Lawrence Seaway has created some new trade opportunity for the region.

Both American and foreign ports are now directly accessible by ocean carrier, opening up new markets and raw material source areas. Sixteen foreign ships cleared the harbor in 1959, the first full year of Seaway operations. The number increased to 44 in 1960, giving hope of contin­ ued growth. The chief foreign imports in 1961, in order of tonnage, were sand, gravel and crushed rock, pig iron and newsprint from Canada and vegetables and vegetable preparations, wood pulp and plywood and ve­ neers from overseas. Export leaders, by tonnage, were bituminous coal and lignite, sand, gravel and crushed rock, iron ore and concentrates and anthracite coal to Canada and lubricating oils and greases, lumber and shingles, petroleum products and metal-working machinery to overseas nations. The total foreign export tonnage was 306,521, 97 percent of which went to Canada; the total foreign import tonnage was a much lower

56,512, 88 percent of which came from Canada.*’9 It is probable that some of these commodities w ill remain important in local trade for many years to come, but, because of the newness of the Seaway, foreign trade

Aft United States Army Corps of Engineers, Great Lakes Harbors Study, Second Interim Report on Erie Harbor, Pennsylvania, op. e ft., p.17.

69United States Army Corps of Engineers, Waterborne Commerce of the United States, Calendar Year 1961, Part 3, Waterways and Harbors, fireat Lakes, op. c it., p.176. 232 lines have not yet been firmly established and the composition of the tonnage handl^l thus far at Erie is not a reliable index of what may be handled in the future.

Lakewise Commerce

In regard to lake cargoes, the leading imports over the ten-year period, 1950-1960 were, in order of tonnage: iron ore and concentrates, sand and gravel, petroleum products, limestone, pulpwood, coal and grain. The only significant export over the same period of time was bituminous coal. Average receipts over this period totaled 3,889,249 tons; shipments totaled 2,265,305.70

Recreation and Tourism

In the Modem Period the tourist industry, which first gained prominence in the latter stages of the Railroad era, became one of the region's most profitable and promising enterprises. The leisure time and individual income of the nation's working force had increased; im­ proved extra-regional transportation connections made local resort centers more accessible to outsiders and, boating, the area's main attraction, skyrocketed in popularity.71 Annual income in the tourist

70United States Army Corps of Engineers, Great Lakes Harbors Study, Second Interim Report on Erie Harbor, Pennsylvania, op. c it., p .17. 71 County Planning Commission, Basic Survey and Research, op. c it. , pp.8 -9 . trade of Pennsylvania’s lakeshore facilities swelled to $33,000,000 by 72 1959. This growth was primarily stimulated by the aquatic attractions of the beaches at Presque Isle, Elk Creek, Avonia, Manchester, Kelso,

Shorewood, Shade's Landing and Freeport.

Presque Isle

Presque Isle State Park, completely covering the peninsula of the same name, is by far the most significant single tourist attraction in the region(See Fig.40). In 1962 approximately 4,000,000 persons visited the park; during particularly hot summer periods, daily attendance reached 60,000. The recreation facilities contained within the 3200 acres of this seven and one-half mile long recurved sandy spit are im- ^ pressive: seven miles of lake-front beaches from which swimming, boating and water skiing are all possible; eleven beach pavilions, each con­ taining dressing rooms, food stands and sanitary facilities; parking accomodations for 15,000 cars; an 110-acre lake marina which is equipped to harbor and service 1300 boats; extensive picnic areas along both the lake and bay front shores; and 15 miles of trails and firebreaks for nature study, hiking and horseback riding.73

The park is well situated in relation to Pennsylvania highways 5,

8, 98 and 99; United States routes 19 and 20 and interstate highway 90,

72 The Erie Workbook fo r Community Development A ction, cit., op. p .114. PRESQUE PRESQUE ISLE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES

Fig. 40. (After Erie County Planning Commission) 235 all of which pass within 10 miles of its main entrance. Because the entrance is located well west of the city of Erie, access is possible without passing through areas of urban congestion.

Presque I s l e 's popularity has resu lted in a mushrooming motel and restaurant business in the vicinity of the park entrance. Now contain­ ing approximately 5,000 units, the area has one of the greatest percapita concentrations of motels in the state of Pennsylvania. This motel boom is primarily the result of the fact that the park, even with its large size, has no overnight campsite facilities, forcing tourists

ip- " - 1 to stay in nearby motels. Because of the seasonality of the peninsula's use, however, these enterprises operate at as low as 10 percent of capacity during fall, winter and early spring. Attempts are being made to develop new sources of off-season business and the greatest potential

seems to lie in conventions, fish in g and w inter s p o rts ,7^

74The Erie Workbook for Community Development Action, c op. it ,, p .115. CHAPTER VII

THE PROSPECT

Introduction

Barring any dramatic change in technology or in the International political situation, the general character of the Erie region will re­ main substantially the same for the next several decades as it is in

1963. The distribution and composition of population will stay about the same; manufacturing w ill continue to dominate the economy and its structure will remain stable; agriculture will continue to decline rela­ tively but will remain important; shipping will hold its own and may increase; recreation and tourism have bright prospects; fishing de­ creases w ill slow down and mineral production will continue to be of little significance.

Population

The population of the Erie Standard Metropolitan Area is expected to reach approximately 350,000 by 1985, representing an Increase of 40 percent over the region's 1963 total* Because of its economic Importance, the lake plain will be the recipient of most of this projected growth and will continue to be the zone of greatest population concentration within the area. Increases in the urbanized area of Erie will probably be less than for the rest of the region and by 1985, its share of the total population will drop below 50 percent for the first time since

236 237

1830.'1' As redevelopment of the city continues, however, outmigration will be slowed and some of the people that had previously moved to the suburbs may return.

Because large-scale emigration from and Immigration into the region have practically ceased, its ethnic composition will remain about the same in the near future as it is in 1963.

Agriculture

Commercial agriculture will continue to be one of the region's leading economic activites. Total farm production will, in fact, steadily increase because (l)the population of northwestern Pennsylvania is expected to grow by 40 percent in the next twenty years and food demands will rise accordingly, and (2)markets, particularly for perish­ able fruits, will probably be expanded by the general improvement in methods of transport and storage that will occur with time. This growth will be accomplished in much the same manner as it has been for the past century: farm acreage will decrease but, as a result of greater intensi­ fication, output will increase. A state agricultural survey predicts that most of this areal shrinkage will occur in cropland which will dir- minsh by a estimated IS percent in the next twelve years whereas pasture and woodland w ill in crease, resp ectiv ely , by one and two percent over the same period of time.2 Projecting the rate of production growth

!Erie County Planning Commission, Population Trends, op. c it. . pp. 41-42.

Pennsylvania State Department of Agriculture, "Erie County," land Use in Pennsylvania. Present and Expected Changes. Harrisburg, 1960. 238 which has occurred since 1910, output w ill rise by approximately twenty p ercen t.

Because of the highly specialized character of the region's agri­ culture, the operational structure of local farms has been well refined and will probably not change much in the near future. It is possible that the use of seasonal labor will decline as more and more of the agricultural processes become mechanized.

Industry

Industry w ill continue to be the region's dominant economic ac­ tivity through the next several decades but its rate of growth will probably be less spectacular than it was during the Modem Period. It is unlikely that any new plants the size of the General Electric or

Hanrnermill Paper companies w ill locate here in that span of time and it is equally unlikely that established industries will again be stim­ ulated by the volume of military contracts which accelerated their growth during the First and Second World Wars. In addition, the region's industrial base, accounting for 48 percent of the local gross product, 4 is near the saturation point for SMA's of a similar size. It is expected that other aspects of the economy, especially the service

^United States Bureau of the Census, Thirteenth Census of the United States. Taken in the Year 1910. Volume VlI. Agriculture. opT c it. , p. 466. and Erie Countv Planning Commission. Basic Purvey and Research. op. cit.. p. 58.

4The E rie Workbook fo r Community» M mill Development A ction. Qpt f i j t- > p . 131. 239 industries, will increase their share of local output at the expense of manufacturing.

The continuing importance of industry can be predicted with some reliability, however, because (l)industry is the single most important economic activity of the whole nation and dominates the economy of most

Standard Metropolitan Areas, (2)the Erie region's major industrial compa­ nies are part of well established national chains which are unlikely to be liquidated as a result of technological changes in manufacturing pro­ cesses, and (3)the chief geographical advantages of an Erie industrial location will not radically change in the near future: i)abundant fresh water supply, inadequate and skilled labor supply, iii)good extra- regional transportation facilities, iv)near-central location in regard to national market areas, and v)a fair sized local market. The third * and fourth advantages w ill, in fact, improve substantially with the b u ild in g o f I n te r s ta te Highways 79 and 80 which w ill, re sp e c tiv e ly ,

Improve connections with southwestern Pennsylvania and eastern Pennsyl­ vania markets.

In spite of the best efforts of local developers, the region has been unable to attract any new large companies since the Second World

War. If this situation continues, the structure of local industry will remain about th e same in th e near fu tu re as obtained in 1963. The new

Industrial parks will bring in same new plants but they will generally be engaged in light industry and research and have little effect on the total industrial ensemble of northwestern Pennsylvania.

As the population of the lower lakes region continues to increase, the General Electric Company may experience a sufficiently expanding 240 market to warrant the re-opening of the Erie plant facilities which it closed in the early 1950's. This would provide upwards of 3,000 jobs and represent a substantial improvement in the economy of the area.

The concentration of manufacturing enterprises along the major east-west railroad routes will continue but it is likely that some new plants will be constructed on the eastern bay front. Factory sites and docking facilities are being developed here by the Erie Port Authority and there is considerable cheap land available for expansion.

Commerce

The greatest handicap Erie has in regards to the development of a large import-export trade is the small size of its hinterland. It is not sufficiently great to handle shipload lots of cargo and Erie is therefore not a regular port of call for any ocean shipping company and is a scheduled stopping place for only one lakewise shipping concern.

The Erie Port Authority hopes that the new limited access expressway being built between Erie and Pittsburgh w ill bring more business into the area from that rich industrial center, making it feasible for ships to make regular stops. In addition, the region should fare better if westbound seaway traffic increases because, beyond Buffalo, Erie is the eastern-most of the nine remaining ports on Lake Erie and lies on a more direct line with the manufacturing market areas of western Pennsyl­ vania and southeastern Ohio than the others. This advantage w ill be offset considerably by the fact that railroad links to theBe industrial centers, due to topographic barriers, are less direct from Erie than from the Ohio ports. Trucking, however, will follow the more direct 241 Interstate Route number 79 and w ill be more competitive. A prelimi­ nary survey indicates that an estimated 11,000 vehicles w ill use this new road daily.5 Should trucking continue to make sizable inroads into the railroad freight business, Erie's commercial importance will improve substantially.

Recreation and Tourism

Recreation and tourism, that aspect of the local economy which has experienced the greatest growth over the last ten years, has a bright future and will very likely continue to be one of the region's fastest growing enterprises. As a result of a civic-sponsored develop­ mental program, the facilities at Presque Isle and other lake shore recreation centers have recently been markedly improved and are attract­ ing an increasing number of visitors each year. Accessibility to these resorts, already good, w ill be improved considerably with the completion of In te rs ta te Highways 79 and 80. L ocally, a c c e s s ib ility to Presque

Isle could be improved and much of the traffic congestion that occurs on its roads during busy weekends alleviated, by building a bridge from the eastern tip of the peninsula to the mainland. This would make it possi­ ble to enter and leave the park at both the eastern and western ends.

Traffic would move more smoothly and people coming from the east could enter the park more quickly, saving from six to ten miles of driving through or around Erie.

5"Urge Early S ta rt fo r N-S Highway," E rie Daily Times. December 10, 1960. 242

One of the major limitations to the growth of this industry rests in the region's lack of inexpensive overnight cabin and camping facili­ ties near or on the sites of the principal parks. Although Presque Isle operates at or near capacity during hot summer week-ends, for example, the park could accomodate thousands more people on week days. Further­ more, the development of attractive over-night camping grounds on the peninsula would encourage more out-of-town vacationers to use its facilities during this slack period.

Summary

On the whole, the Erie region will maintain the approximate cul­ tural geographical character it now possesses for at least the next several decades. Its competitive position with other lower lakes cities will also remain about the same. The area's greatest hope for prosper­ ity seems to lie in its possible eventual integration into a more-or-less continuous megalopolis extending from Buffalo to Detroit. This urban consolidation would enhance the situ a tio n of the Erie port by providing a larger hinterland for its shipping facilities; it would also create a greater market for products from local farms and industries.

It is also probable that the topographic barriers that lie between the Erie lake shore and the rich western Pennsylvania markets will be­ come le ss sig n ific an t with tim e. With his engineering wizardry and huge earth-movers, man is increasingly better equipped to subdue nature and build rapid-transport routes over rugged countrysides. The completion of the north-south and east-west freeways may once again make the Erie region the important gateway it once was. APPENDIX

Questionnaire requesting data for the writing of: The Historical Geography of the Erie Triangle—a doctoral dissertation being written to fu lfill the requirements for the Ph.D Degree at The Ohio State University.

1. Company name 2. Present address

3. Any previous names or addresses? dates of changes?

4. Date company organized in or moved to Erie County?

5. What factors originally influenced the location of this company in Erie County?

6. Briefly discuss the importance of each of the following in regard to your location in Erie County:

a availability of land b cost of land

c zoning laws d cost of labor e type of labor (skilled, unskilled, etc.) f raw m aterials t cost of power h other Erie County industries i water supply

j transport facilities k local market 1 tax structure

m chance 243 Approximate each of the following for your particular industrial plant (there may be some overlapping with nunber 6):

a) acreage covered by your company

b) floor space (in sq. feet)

c) parking acreage Do you consider these parking facilities to be adequate?

d) If you expand according to your own expectations during the next 25 years, will there be enough room at the present site?

e) to ta l number of employees male female active union

f) percentage of total labor force classified as; sk illed semi-skilled unskilled

g) raw m aterials % purchased in Erie County ■% purchased outside the U.S. % brought in by water % brought in by r a i l % brought in by truck Other h) market % sales in Erie County % sales outside the U.S. % shipped by water % shipped by rail % shipped by truck Other

i) source of water supply Has the source always been the same? Explain

j) source of power Has the source always been the same? Explain Please give a general resume of the growth of your Erie County industrial establishment.

List any outstanding achievements, anniversaries, etc., that your company has had during i t s E rie County te n u r. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Public Documents

Federal Reports and Publications

Erie County Unit of the Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration. Erie, A Guide to the City and Country. Phila­ delphia: William Penn Associates, 1938.

Mangan, John W., Van Tuyl, Donald W., and White, Walter F. J r . Water Resources of the Late Erie Shore Region. United States Geological Survey Circular No. 174. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1952.

United States Army Corps of Engineers. Great Lakes Harbors Study - Inter­ im Report on E rie Harbor, Pennsylvania. Washington: Government Minting Office, 1960.

. Great Lakes Harbors Study - Second Interim Report on Erie Harbor, Pennsylvania. Washington: Government Printing 6ffice, 1961.

. Presque Isle Peninsula, Erie. Pennsylvania. Beach Erosion Control Study. House Document No. 231. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1953.

. Presque Isle Peninsula. Erie. Pennsylvania. Beach Erosion Control Study. House Document No. 397. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1960.

. The Ports of Buffalo. N.Y.. and Erie, Pa. Lake Series No. 1. Washington: Government P rin tin g 6£fice, 1952.

. Waterborne Commerce of the United States. Calendar Year 1961. Part 3, Waterways and Harbors, Great Lakes. Washington: Government Printing 6ffice, 1962.

United States Bureau of Commercial Fisheries. Great lakes Fisheries. 1961. Washington: Government P rin tin g P ress, 1962.

. Preliminary Report, Great Lakes Fisheries, 1962. Washington: Government P rin tin g O ffice, 1963.

246 247

United States Bureau of the Census. Agriculture of the United States in 1860. Washington: GovernmentPrinting Office, 1864.

. Census of Population. I960. Countv and City Data Book. Wash­ ington: Government P rinting O ffice, 1961.

. Erie. Fa.. Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area. Washington: Government P rinting O ffice, 1961.

t F ifth Census* Enumeration of the Inhabitants of the United S tates, 1830. Washington: Government P rinting O ffice, 1832.

. Historical Statistics of the United States. Colonial Times to 1957. Washington: Government P rinting O ffice, 1960.

. Manufactures of the United States in 1860. Washington: Govern- ment Printing Office, 1864.

. Population of the United States in 1860. Washington: Govem- ment P rinting O ffice, 1864.

. Preliminary Report on the Eight Census, 1860. Washington: Government P rinting O ffice, 18627

. Statistics of the Population of the United States at the Tenth Census. June 1. 1880. Washington: Government P rinting O ffice, 1883.

. Thirteenth Census of the United States Taken in the Year 1910, A griculture. Washington: Government P rinting O ffice, 1913.

. Thirteenth Census of the United States Taken in the Year 1910. Manufactures. Washington: Government P rinting O ffice, 1912.

. Thirteenth Census of the United States Taken in the Year 1910. Population. Washington: Government P rinting O ffice, 1913.

. United States Census of Agriculture. 1959. Pennsylvania. Counties. Washington: Government P rinting O ffice, 1961.

. United States Census of Agriculture. 1959. Ranking Agricul­ tu r a l Counties. Special Reports. Washington: Government P rinting Office, 1961.

. United States Census of Manufactures. 1958. Vol. III. Area S ta tis tic s . Washington: Government Printing O ffice, 1961.

. United States Census of Population. I960, General Population C h aracte ristics. vJashington: Government P rinting 6ffice,19(?2. 248

. United States Census of Population. I960, General Social and Economic Characteristics. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1962.

______. United States Census of Population, 1960. Pennsylvania* Gener­ alPopulation Characteristics. Washington: Government feinting Office, 1962.

. United States Census of Population, I960, Pennsylvania, Gener­ al Social and Economic Characteristics. Washington; Government Printing Office, 1962.

. United States Census of Population. 1960, Pennsylvania, Humber of Inhabitants. Washington; Government Printing Offu.ce. 1962.

. United States Census of Population. I960. United States Summa­ ry, Number of Inhabitants. Washington; Government Printing office. 1961.

. United States Censuses of Population and Housing. I960. Erie, Pennsylvania Standard Metropolitan S tatistical Area. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1962.

. 1958 Census of Manufacturing. Location of Manufacturing Plants by County. Industry and Employment 5iz e . P art 2 - Middle A tla n tic . Washington: Government Print ing 6ff i ce, 1961.

United States Department of Agriculture. Soil Survey. Erie County. Pennsylvania. Series 1957, No. 9. Washington: Government Printing 6 f fic e , 1960.

. Soils. Yearbook of Agriculture. 1957. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1957.

United States Navy, Chief, Bureau of Ordnance, "Letter to Johnson Himrod and Company, November 5, 1844." National Archives. Record Group R6-74, p. 90.

State Reports and Publications

Ashley, George H. Scenery of Pennsylvania, Its Origin and Development. Pennsylvania Geologic Survey, Series No. 4, Bulletin S-6. Harrls- burg, 1933.

Ashley, George H., and Robinson, J. Frederick. The Oil and Gas Fields of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Geologic Survey, Series No.4. rtarrisburg, 1922. 249

Ashley, George H., Stone, R. B., and Hicks, W. 0. The Undeveloped Mineral Resources of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Geologic Survey, Series rto. 4, Bulletin KL8-4. Harrisburg, 1933.

Chesneau, M. "Memoir on the Western Indians," Pennsylvania Archives. Second Series, Vol. VI. Harrisburg, 1877, p. 9.

E llicott, Andrew. "Report to Govenor M ifflin on Laying out a Town at Presque Isle, December 30, 1794," Pennsylvania Archives. Second Series, Vol. VI. Harrisburg, 1877, p. 796.

Jonqulere, Marqois. "Letter from Marqois De La Jonqulere to Govenor Clinton, August 10, 1751," Pennsylvania Archives. Second Series, Vol. V, Harrisburg, 1877, pp. 113-117.

Kent, Donald H., Stevens, Sylvester K., and Leonard, Autumn L. (eds.) The Papers of Colonel Henry Bouquet. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Harrisburg, 1941.

Kent, Donald H., and Stevens, Sylvester K. (eds.) Wilderness Chronicles of Northwestern Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Harrisburg, 1941.

Leyette, R. M. Ground Water in Northwestern Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Geologic Purvey, Series No. 4, Bulletin W3, Harrisburg, 1936.

"Memoir on the Indians between Lake Erie and the M ississippi," Pennsyl­ vania Archives. Second Series, Vol. VI. Harrisburg, 1877, p. 49.

Meyers, W. M. Problems and Trends in the Mineral Industries of Pennsyl­ vania. Pennsylvania State University, Department oi: Mineral Industries, Bulletin 27. University Park, Pa., 1939.

Overall Economic Development Program. The Northwestern Pennsylvania Conference for Economic Development. Erie, Pa., 1961.

Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Pennsylvania Crops and Live­ sto c k . Annual Summary, 1959. H arrisb u rg , 1960.

■ Types of Farming in Pennsylvania. Bulletin 479. Harris­ burg, 1946.

Ray, William S. Early Footprints of Developments in Northwestern Penn­ sylvania . Extracts from the Annual Report of the Department of Internal Affairs, 1904. Harrisburg, 1905.

"September 13, 1788," Pennsylvania State Assembly Proceedings. Harris­ burg, 1788. 250

Stone, R. W. Building Stones of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Geologic Survey, Series No. 4, Bulletin MLS. Harrisburg, 1932.

Stone, R. W. Molding Sands of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Geologic Survey, Series No. 4, Bulletin 11. Harrisburg, 1928.

White, I.C. The Geology of Erie and Crawford Counties. Pennsylvania Geologic Survey, Series No. 2. Harrisburg, 1881.

Erie County and City Reports and Publications

Erie County Planning Commission. Basic Survey and Research. Erie County Master Plan, Phase II. Erie, Pa., 1960.

Erie County Planning Commission. Land Use Patterns. Erie County Master Plan, Phases III and IV. Erie, Pa., 1960.

Erie County Planning Commission. Population Trends for Erie County. Erie County Master Plan, Phase V. Erie., Pa., 1960.

Greene, Edward. Port of Erie Development Program. Projects 1959-60. Erie Port Authority Commission. Erie., Pa., 1959.

Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Hall and MacDonald. Port of Erie Study. A Report Prepared and Published by the Engineering Firm of Parsons, Brincker- h o ff, Hall and MacDonald. New York, 1955.

Rotival, Maurice H., and Associates. Reconnaisance Study for Erie. Penn­ sylvania. Rotival and Associates. New York, 1958.

Books and Pamphlets

Agnew, Daniel. A History of the Region of Pennsylvania North of the Ohio and West o f th e Allegheny R iver. Philadelphia; Kav and Brothers, 1887,

Atkinson, W. P. Manufacturing and Mercantile Resources of Erie City and County. Erie: W. P. Atkinson, Printer, 1882.

Baldwin, Leland D. Pittsburgh, the Story of a City. Pittsburgh: Univer­ sity of Pittsburgh Press, 1937.

Beers, F. W. Atlas of Erie County Pennsylvania. New York: Ellis and G. G. Soule and Co., 1865.

Brown, Isaac B. Early Footprints of Developments and Improvements in Northwestern Pennsylvania. Harrisburg: State Printer. 1905. 251

Brown, Ralph H. H isto rical Geography o f the United S ta te s. New York: Harcourt Brace and Co., 1948.

Buck, Solon J ., and Elizabeth H. The Planting of Civilization in Western Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh: tfhe University of Pittsburgh Press, 1939.

Burgess, George H., and Kennedy, Miles C, Centennial History of the Penn­ sylvania Railroad Company. Philadelphia: tfhe Pennsylvania Rail­ road Company, 1949.

Carney, John G. Tales of Old Erie. Erie: Advance Printing and Litho­ graph Co., 1958.

Carstens, A. H. Pennsylvania's Best. Clearfield, Pa.: Kurtz Bros., Printers, 1960.

Day, Sherman. History and A ntiquities of the State o f Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: George W. Gorton, 1843.

Dobbins, William W. History of the . Erie, Pa.: Ashby Printing Co., 1913.

Duncan, O tis, S cott, Richard, Lieberson, Stanley, Duncan, Beverly and Winsborough, Hal. Metropolis and Region. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1960.

Erie Chamber of Commerce. Business Climate Survey of Metropolitan Erie. Pennsylvania. Erie, Pa.: Erie Chamber o£ Commerce, 1958.

Evans, S, Howard (ed.) The Erie Workbook for Community Development Action. Washington: Chamber of Commerce oi: the United States, 1961.

E verts, Ensign and Everts. H isto rical Atlas o f Erie County Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Everts, Ensign and Everts, 1876.

Fish, Roger E. Bog Iron. Erie, Pa.: Erie County Historical Society, 1947.

Fletcher, Stevenson W. Pennsylvania Agriculture and Country Life. 1640-1840. Harrisburg: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1950,

Fowke, Gerard. Archaeological History of Ohio. The Mound Builders and Later Indians. Columbus. Ohio: Fred J. Heer Press. 1902. Goodrich, Carter, Rubin, Julius, Crammer, Jerome, and Segel, Harvey. Canals and American Economic Development. New York: Columbia University Press, 1961. 252

Goodrich, Carter. Government Promotion of American Canals and Railroads. 1800-1890. New York: Columbia University Press, 1960. Harpster, John W. (ed.) Pen Pictures of Early Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh: The University of Pittsburgh Press, 1938.

Hartshome, Richard. The Nature of Geography. Lancaster, Pa.: Association of- American Geographers, 1939. Hatcher, Harlan H. Lake Erie. New York: The Bobbs-Merrlll Co., 1945.

Hough, Jack L. Geology of the Great Lakes. Urbana, 111.*. The University of Illinois Press, 1958. Hulbert, Archer B. The Great American Canals. Cleveland: The A. H, Clark Co., 1904.

Hunter, William. Forts on the Pennsylvania Frontier. 1753-58. Harris­ burg: The Pennsylvania H istorical and Museum Commission, 1960.

James, Preston E., and Jones, Clarence F. (eds.) American Geography. Inventory and Prospect. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1954.

Kansas, Sidney. United States Immigration. Deportation and Citizenship. New York: Matthew Bender and Company, 1948.

Kent, Donald H. The French Invasion of Western Pennsylvania. Harrisburg: The Pennsylvania H istorical and Museum Commission, 1954. Lewis, Robert G. The Handbook o f American R ailro ad s. New York: Simmons- Boardman Publishing C orporation, 1956.

Madison, Harold L. Mound Builders, Cleveland: Edwards and Franklin Co., Press, 1925. M iller, E. Willard. Readings in Pennsylvania Geography. University Park, Pa.: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1957.

M iller, John. A Twentieth Century History of Erie County. Pennsylvania. Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co., 1909.

Montgomery, Thomas L. Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania. Volume I. Harris­ burg: Pennsylvania Indian Forts Commission, 1916.

Murphy, Raymond E., and Murphy, Marion. Pennsylvania. A Regional Geogra­ phy. Harrisburg: The Pennsylvania Book Service, 1937.

Nelson, S. U. Nelson's Biographical Dictionary and Historical Reference Book of Erie County. Erie. Pa.; S. B. Nelson. 1896. Nolen, John. Gnmtftr Erie, Pa.: Ashby Printing Co., 1914. 253

Nolting, Orin and Arnold, David (eds.) The Municipal Yearbook. 1962. Chicago: The International City Manager's Association, 1962.

Oosting, Henry J . The Study o f P lan t Communities. San Francisco: W. H. Freeman Co., 1948.

Pennsylvania Federation of Historical Societies. Pennsylvania Caval­ cade. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1942:.

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (ed.). Journal of Chaussegros De Lerv. Harrisburg: State Printer, 1940.

Peterson, C. A. The Mound Building Age in North America. St Louis: Missouri Historical Society, 1902.

Price, William B. Mound Builders. Indians and Pioneers. Parkersburg, W. Va.: Schall Printing Co., 1956.

Ray, John W. A History of Western Pennsylvania. Athens, Pa.: John W. Ray, 1941.

Reed, John E. HiBtorv of Erie County Pennsylvania. Indianapolis: Historical Publishing Co., 1925.

Riesenman, Joseph Jr. History of Northwestern Pennsylvania. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1943.

Robbins, D. P. Robbins History of Erie County Pennsylvania. Erie, Pa.: Advertising Printing Co., 1895.

Rosenberg, Max. The Building o f P e rry 's F leet on Lake E rie. 1812-13. Harrisburg: Pennsylvania H istorical and Museum Commission, 1900.

Sanford, Laura G. The History of Erie County Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott and Company, 1894.

Sargent, M. P. Pioneer Sketches. Erie, Pa.: Herald Printing and Pub­ lishing Co., 1891.

Saylor, R. B., and Wame, A. E. Statistical Abstract of Erie. Pennsyl­ vania. University Park, Pa^: Bureau of Business Research, 1954.

Severance, Frank H. An Old Frontier of France. The Niagara Region and Adjacent Lakes under French Control. New York: Dodd Meaa and Co., 191 7: Sipe, C. Hale. The Indian Chiefs of Pennsylvania. Butler, Pa.: Ziegler P rin tin g C o., 1927.

Slie, David. War of the Gauges. Railroading at Erie. Cleveland: Harris and Fairbanks Co., 1854. 254

Stevens, Sylvester K. Pennsylvania, the Keystone State. New York: The American H istory Company, 1956.

S te v e r, H erbert E, P ennsylvania. Boston: Ginn and Company, 1945.

Swank, James M. Progressive Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: J. B. Lipplncott Co., 1908.

Taylor, G riffith (ed.). Geography in the 20th Century. New York: Phil­ osophical Library, 1957.

Trego, Charles B. A Geography of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Edward Biddle Co., 1843.

Vietzen, Raymond C. The Ancient Ohioans and Their Neighbors. Wahoo, Nebraska: Ludi P rin tin g Company, 1946.

Wade, Mason. The Journals of Francis Parkman. 2 Vols. New York: Harper and Brothers Publishers, 1947.

Wallace, Paul A. Historic Indian Paths of Pennsylvania. Harrisburg: Pennsylvania H istorical and Museum Commission, 1952.

Webb, William S ., and Baby, Raymond S. The Adena People No. 2 . Co­ lumbus, Ohio: The Ohio State University Press, 1957.

Weygandt, Cornelius. The Plenty of Pennsylvania. New York: H. C. Kensey and Company, 1942.

Whitman, Benjamin, and Russel, Nathaniel. History of Erie County Penn­ sylv an ia . Chicago: Boyne Company, 1884.

Wright, J. E,, and Corbett, D. S. Pioneer Life in Western Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh ’Press, 1940.

Wright, John K. Geography in the Making. The American Geographical Society. 1851-1951. New York: The American Geographical Society, 1952.

Articles and Periodicals

"An Editorial," (about the need for a canal link with the eastern shore), Erie Gazette. July, 1826.

Barrows, Harlan H., "Geography as Human Ecology," Annals of the Associ­ ation of American Geographers. Vol. 13 (1923), pp. 1-14. 255

Bigger, Sidney, "Salt Was Propelling Force in Erie's Early Growth as a City," Erie Dispatch Herald. March 14, 1943.

Brown, Ralph H ., "M aterials Bearing upon the Geography o f the A tlan tic Seaboard, 1790 to 1810," Annals of the Association of American Geographers. Vol. 28 (1938), pp. 201-231.

Dahlberg, Richard E., 'The Concord Grape Industry of the Chautauqua- E rie Area," Economic Geography. Vol. 37 (1961), pp. 150-170.

Fenneman, Nevin M., "The Circumference of Geography," Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 9 (1939(, pp. 3-11.

Fowler, B ill, "Harvesting of Ice Was Once a Flourishing Business Here," Erie PiBpatch Herald, June 10, 1944.

"Grape Belt in Erie County Not Excelled in Any Part of the World," Erie Daily Times. December 31, 1911.

Hale, R. Nelson, "The Pennsylvania Population Company," Pennsylvania History. Vol. 16 (1949), pp. 123-129.

Haskins, Glenn, "Orchard Sites and Frosts," American Fruit Grower. Vol. 70 (1950), pp. 11-20.

Henderson, Elizabeth K., "The Northwestern Lands of Pennsylvania, 1790- 1812," The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography. Vol. 60 (1936), pp. 136-139.

Jack, Walter, "Relic of the Old Canal," Erie Daily Times, December 29, 1957.

Kelly, John, "The Erie-Pittsburgh Canal," Erie Daily Times. November 15, 1939.

Kelly, John, "Wrecking of Mansion Recalls Life of W. L. Scott," Erie Daily Times, January 5, 1934.

M iller, E. W., "Some Aspects of Population Trends in Pennsylvania," Journal of Geography. Vol. 54 (1955), pp. 64-73.

Morgan, Maxine, "Big Gas Well Hits in Conneaut Area," Erie Daily Times. November 23, 1960.

Morrison, Karl E ., "Highways o f Erie Country Followed Old Indian T ra ils ," Erie Dispatch Herald. Ptycil 12, 1936. ^ Reed, John E. (ed.), M01d Erie C anal, t? C otnm onw ealt h of Pennavlvan** Department of Internal Affaire . M o n th ly Bulletin, Vol. 16, 11 (1948), pp. 14-20.

ii Vol. 17, No. 1 (1948), p p . 10-14.

it Vol. 17, No. 2 (1949), p p . 5-10.

n Vol. 17, No. 5 (1949), p p . 19-21.

. "Fort Presque Isle," Erie Country H isto ric a l Society Pub­ lic a tio n s . Vol. 1, No. 4 (n o d a t e ) .

. "The Erie Triangle," Erie Country H isto ric a l Society Pub­ lications . Vol. 1, No. 6 (no d a te ) .

Rhoads, William R., "The Pennsylvania C a n a l,tf The Western Pennsyl­ vania Historical Magazine. Vol. 43 (1 9 6 0 ),' p. 229.

Rubin, Meyer, and Alexander, Corrinne , " U n ite d States Geologic Survey Radiocarbon Dates, IV," Science, V o l. X27 (1958), pp. 1467-1518.

"Salt Deposits Underneath County,” E r i e D a i l y T im e s. September 24, 1960.

Sauer, Carl 0 . , "Foreword to H i s t o r i c a l G e o g r a p h y . " Annals of the A ssociation of American G e o g r a p h e r s . V o l . 31 (194l), pp. 1-24.

"Shoot Gas Well Near Northeast," E rie D a ily T im es. October 14, 1960,

Ward, R. D., "Cloudiness in the U nited S ta te s , tf The Geographical Review, Vol. 9 (1920), pp. 247-256.

Whittlesey, Charles, "On the Weapons an d M ilita r y Character of the Race of the Mounds," Memoirs Read B e fo re t h e Boston Society of Natural History. Vol. 1 (1867), pp. 473—4 8 1 .

Whittlesey, Derwent S., "Sequent O ccu p an ce," Annals of the Association of American Geographers. Vol. 19 (1 9 2 9 ), p p . 162-165.

Unpublished M a te ria l

Carr, Ira and Larsen, Alfred, "The M ajor P ro b lem s Facing Lake Erie Commercial Fisheries, I960," R ep o rt J o in tly prepared by the Federal Bureau of Commercial F is h e r ie s and the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, 1961. (M im eographed)

Chestnutwood, Mark, 'The Geographical B a s is o f Pennsylvania's Tourist Industry," unpublished doctoral d is s e r ta tio n , Department of Geog­ raphy, Pennsylvania State U n iv ersity , X954. 257

Hicks, L. E,, "The Original Forest Vegetation and the Vascular Flora of Northeast Ohio," unpublished doctoral dissertation, Department of Botany, The Ohio State University, 1934.

Kent, Donald H., "The Chautauqua-Erie Story," A Paper Read before the Chautauqua County H istorical Society, August 2, 1958. (Mimeographed)

Langlois, T. H., "The Effect of Lake Erie Pollution upon the Fishing Industry," A Paper Read before the Annual Meeting of the East Lakes Division of the Association of American Geographers* Bowling Green, Ohio, 1960. "

Ray, John W., "Scraps of Erie County History," Erie, 1947. (Typewritten)

Shenk, Edna M., "Early Settlement in Erie, Pennsylvania," Pittsburgh, 1938. (Typewritten) AUTOBIOGRAPHY

I, Allen Arthur Schmieder, was bom In Union City, Pennsylvania, on January 20, 1933. I received my secondary-school education in the

Wesleyville, Pennsylvania, High School and my undergraduate training at Edinboro State College, from which I received the Bachelor of Sci­ ence degree in 1955. At Edinboro, I pursued majors in geography and

English and in my final two years, I was assistant to Professor Dale

E, Thomas, Chairman of the Department o f Geography. I received the

Master of Arts degree from The Ohio State University in 1956 and,

during this program, was a graduate assistant, serving under Profes­

sors John R. Randall, Robert M. B asile and Henry L. Hunker. A fter

graduation I remained at Ohio State University as a teaching assist­

ant and assistant instructor, and completed all the requirements for

the Doctor of Philosophy degree except the dissertation. In 1961

I accepted an Assistant Professorship at the University of Maryland.

While there, I completed the doctoral dissertation and received the

the Ph.D. degree from Ohio State University in 1963.

258