A BRIEF HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY

Erie County's heritage reaches back to the years preceding the War of 1812, when the area was known as "Ogontz"; named after the chief of the Ottawa Indian village located here. It is part of Ohio's "Firelands"; so named because Connecticut gave the lands to her citizens who were burned out by the British in the Revolutionary War. The County was incorporated in 1838.

The area might well be a part of Canada, if not for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry's famous naval victory over the British fleet off Put-in-Bay in September, 1813. Perry's victory marked the only time in history that a British fleet ever surrendered, and it preserved control of the "Northwest Territory" for the United States. A monument and National Park on South Bass Island now commemorate the victory.

During the Civil War, Johnson's Island, in Sandusky Bay, was the site of a prison for Confederate officers. Ten thousand Confederate prisoners were housed in the camp's barracks, with as many as three thousand men living there at one time. A federal cemetery there contains the remains of 206 Confederate soldiers who died while imprisoned. Johnson's Island is located in Ottawa County, directly adjacent to Erie County.

The area boasts a number of prominent individuals who left their mark on American society. Most notable is Thomas Alva Edison, who was born in Milan, on the Southern edge of the County. His birthplace is maintained as a museum there. Legendary Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne spend his summers working at Cedar Point, and along with Gus Dorias, perfected the forward pass on the beach there. A plaque in honor of this accomplishment is located on the Cedar Point beach. Former Miss America Jackie Mayer also hails from Sandusky.

ERIE COUNTY TODAY

Erie County (pop. 76,779) is situated in Northcentral Ohio, along the shore of Lake Erie. It is 264 square miles in area, and is 603 feet above sea level. It is bounded by Lorain County on the East, Huron County on the South, Sandusky and Ottawa Counties on the West, and Lake Erie on the North. The county includes Kelleys Island (pop. 172), which is the largest U.S. island in Lake Erie. Erie County boasts 35 miles of shoreline along the Lake and Sandusky Bay.

The mean temperature is 49.0 degrees, and the average rainfall is 45.03 inches. The average low temperature is 20 degrees (February) and the average high is 86 degrees (July). The county's location makes it an excellent agricultural area, especially suited to growing grapes, corn, tomatoes, celery, apples, peaches, strawberries, melons, lettuce, onions, wheat and soybeans.

The City of Sandusky (pop. 29,764) is the County Seat. The city was incorporated in 1824, and its name is believed to come from the Indian phrase "Lac-san-dou-ske", meaning "lake of cold water". Sandusky is located 55 miles East of Toledo, 60 miles West of Cleveland, and 106 miles North of Columbus. The city is home to Cedar Point amusement park, which offers the largest number of (and most exciting) rides and roller coasters of any amusement park in the nation!

Erie County also includes the cities of Huron (pop. 7,030) and Vermilion (pop. 5,483). Huron was once a leading community in the construction of steamships, while Vermilion once was home to more sea captains than any other Great Lakes community. Other communities include Bay View, Berlin Heights, Castalia and Milan. The most heavily populated area, other than the City of Sandusky, is Perkins Township (pop. 10,793), situated directly South of the city. The township is a regional shopping and attractions mecca, and is also home to some of the larger industrial concerns in Erie County.

The economic base of the county is very diversified. In addition to agriculture, tourism and retailing, the county's economy boasts a variety of industries; including automotive parts, plastics, paints and colorants, packaging materials, food processing, mining and metal products. More people are employed in the industrial sector than in any other segment of the economy.

The county's service sector is also quite diversified and includes government, medicine, religion and education. Erie County is home to the N.A.S.A. Lewis Research Center's Plum Brook Station, which houses space test facilities that are unique in the world. Medicine is centered at Firelands Regional Medical Center. The county's religious community represents all faiths. Education is led by Firelands College, the only one of the seven colleges of Bowling Green State University located off the main campus. Seven public school districts, along with their private counterparts, offer some of the finest educational programs in the state, including adult and vocational educational programs.

Culture is highly valued by Erie Countians, with various offerings made available through Sandusky's historic State Theatre, the Huron Playhouse and Harlequins Theatre productions, the Sandusky Cultural Center, several unique museums and various art galleries and shows. The county also offers a number of excellent libraries.

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payable to the Erie County Chamber of Commerce; P.O. Box 620; Sandusky, OH 44871-0620