The town of Erie was named by Reverend Richard Van Valkenburg.  He was a civic leader and circuit riding preacher who brought the gospel to small farm communities such as Erie once or twice a month.  He had spent much of his time as a Methodist preacher in the coal towns near Erie, Pennsylvania and thus thought it fitting to name the small settlement in the west after the place he came from.

Erie was established in 1871, following the Briggs Mine, the first commercial coal mine in Weld County.  It was at this same time that the Union Pacific Railroad extended a spur westward from Brighton.  The Erie mines provided the coal needed to fuel the huge steam engines of the time.  Further, the Overland Stage that traveled from Denver to Laramie followed the route that is presently the U.S. Highway 287.  The Erie terminal was the final stop for rail transportation if heading to Boulder or Longmont.  From Erie, travelers had to continue by stage coach or spring wagon.

The real estate boom of the late ninety’s gave the little town of Erie a rebirth of sorts.  New homes and small businesses were finding a place to call home here.  In 1999, the town commissioned a local historical writer, Annee Quinby-Dyni, to compose the history of Erie.  In collaboration with the Erie Historical Society, Ms. Dyni was able to collect photographs and stories from many life long residents of the town and surrounding areas.

Today you will find that Erie still has the small town feel of yesterday.  As new homes, parks, schools, bike trails and businesses start to pop up out of the fields, it is clear that Erie has worked hard to maintain its history.  You can walk down Briggs Street and picture the days when the horse and buggy was king of the road.

Neighborhoods in Erie and surrounding area:

Meadow Sweet Farms

Kenosha Farms

Arapahoe Ridge

Northridge

Country Fields

Vista Ridge

Orchard Glenn

Erie Village

Erie Commons

Candlelight Ridge

Vista Pointe

Vista Estates

Carol Heights

Canyon Creek

Erie Air Park

Grandview