Although it was settled and named in 1867, Erie was not officially incorporated until November 16, 1874. The very first board of trustees consisted of five permanent and prominent members of the community; George Meller, Richard Van Valkenburg, John T. Williams, Joseph J. Wharton and John A. Rowe. Erie was unique among local coal mining towns because the local coal miners actually owned land or houses in town, instead of setting up temporary camps. Coal was discovered in the region in the 1860s and by 1870, the Denver-Pacific Spur Railroad stopped in Erie for passengers. In 1871, the first commercial railroad reached the town. The railroad made it much easier to transport coal to the surrounding communities and to Denver, helping the town grow quickly. Although the locals were mining coal in the surrounding area starting in the 1860s the first official mine in Erie opened in 1876; operated by Ira Austin. The first school was established in 1874, with 33 students enrolling. The first school building was erected in 1881, with 100 students enrolled. In 1907, it was replaced by the larger brick Lincoln School, which soon became inadequate due to the town's growth. Four new rooms had to be added in 1920. The over crowding was alleviated in 1929, with the construction of the new high school. Eventually, the building was abandoned all together and a new Elementary School was constructed in 1966. The first church was established in 1883, the Welsh Presbyterian Church, with services conducted in Welsh. By 1888, there was a United Methodist Church and in 1898, St. Scholasticas Catholic Church was dedicated. In 1884, the first newspaper was founded by Charles D. Bell; called the Erie-Canfield Independent, it continued publishing until 1896. The Erie Herald was established in 1907 and published for far longer than other short lived newspapers, serving the community until 1948. Erie was one of the only "wet" towns in the area and by 1895, boasted eleven saloons on Briggs Street. This resulted in the need for a jail, constructed in 1876, and a constable. The earliest known constable in Erie was B.C. "Bud" Pitchford.
Government
The Board of Trustees serves as the legislative and governing body of the town of Erie and is responsible for establishing town policies and goals. The board has the authority to adopt laws, ordinances and resolutions as needed to conduct the business of the town, and by ordinance may enter into contracts or intergovernmental agreements to furnish, receive services or to provide for cooperative service delivery. Appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the Board of Trustees, the Town Administrator is the chief operating and administrative officer of the town and is responsible for providing professional leadership in the administration and execution of policies and objectives formulated by the board. Erie Municipal Airport is owned and operated by the Town of Erie and is located on Colorado Highway 7, a little over three miles west of Interstate 25. The main runway is concrete paved and long.
Geography
Erie is located in the southwest corner of Weld County at and extends west into eastern Boulder County. It is bordered to the south by the city ofBroomfield and to the southwest by the city of Lafayette. Interstate 25 forms part of the eastern border of the town, leading south to downtown Denver and north to Fort Collins. Erie is served by Exit 232 off I-25. According to the United States Census Bureau, Erie has a total area of, of which is land and, or 0.74%, is water.
Demographics
As of the , there were 18,135 people in the Town of Erie. According to the , the racial makeup of the town was 90.6% White, 0.3% African American, 0.1% Native American, 4.1% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 2.4% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.7% of the population. According to the , there were 6,485 households. According to the US Census the average household size was 2.91. Population: Under 5 years - 9.6%, 5 to 9 years - 10.3%, 10 to 14 years - 7.4%, 15 to 19 years - 5.4%, 20 to 24 years - 2.7%, 25 to 29 years - 4.9%, 30 to 34 years - 8.1%, 35 to 39 years - 10.4%, 40 to 44 years - 9.8%, 45 to 49 years - 8.5%, 50 to 54 years - 7.25%, 55 to 59 years - 5.5%, 60 to 64 years - 4.5%, 65 to 69 years - 2.5%, 70 to 74 years - 1.4%, 75 to 79 years - 0.9%, 80 to 84 years - 0.5%, 85 and older - 0.35%. The median income for a household in the town was $99,804, and the median income for a family was $108,058. The per capita income for the town was $38,965.
Arts and culture
There is an active group of artists in Erie; the Arts Coalition of Erie represents about 70 artists, or approximately 60% of the artists in town. There are good venues for art at the Erie Community Center and High Plains Library, and shows change about every two months. The Art Center of Erie at 625 Pierce Street in Old Town Erie is open for visual and performing arts programs and is operated by the Arts Coalition of Erie. Classes and events are held year round at the site leased by the Arts Coalition of Erie.
