Editing Erie, Colorado (section)

== History ==
Although it was settled and named in 1867, Erie was not officially incorporated until November 16, 1874.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.erieco.gov/DocumentCenter/View/176/Town-of-Erie-Selected-Timeline-of-Eries-History?bidId=|title=A Selected Timeline Of Erie's History|website=Erie, CO Official Website}}</ref> The 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.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=A Brief History of Erie, Colorado: Out of the Coal Dust|last=Stull|first=James B.|publisher=History Press Library Editions|year=2015|isbn=978-1540202482|location=Charleston, SC}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":1" />

Coal was discovered in the region in the 1860s, and by 1870, railway service was established by the Denver-Pacific Spur Railroad. In 1871, the Denver & Boulder Valley Railroad was built through the area, connecting [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]] and [[Brighton, Colorado|Brighton]].<ref name=":0" /> The railroad made it much easier to transport coal to the surrounding communities and to Denver, helping the town grow quickly.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Erie (Images of America)|last=Stull|first=James B.|publisher=Arcdia Publishing|year=2011|isbn=978-0738576169|location=Charleston, SC}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":1" />

The first school was established in 1874, with 33 students enrolling.<ref name=":0" /> The first school building was erected in 1881, with 100 students enrolled. In 1907, the school was replaced by the larger brick Lincoln School, which soon became inadequate due to the town's growth, and 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 Lincoln School was abandoned all together, and a new elementary school was constructed in 1966.<ref name=":0" />

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, the St. Scholasticas Catholic Church was dedicated.<ref name=":0" />  In 1884, the first newspaper was founded by Charles D. Bell; called the Erie-Canfield Independent, it continued publishing until 1896.<ref name=":0" /> The Erie Herald was established in 1907 and published for far longer than other short lived newspapers, serving the community until 1948.<ref name=":1" />

Erie was one of the only "wet" towns in the area and by 1895, boasted eleven saloons on Briggs Street.<ref name=":1" /> 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.<ref name=":1" /> Erie was hit by major floods in 1890, 1921, and 1972. The floods devastated the town, and a dike was built around nearby Coal Creek after the 1972 flood. Erie was also hard-hit by the Panic of 1893 and the Great Depression, the latter of which led to a decline in coal output. Demand for coal dropped after [[World War II]], and most of the mines in the Erie area were closed by 1960, with the Eagle Mine closing in 1978.<ref name=":0" />