PRINTER'S NO. 1540
No. 114 Session of 1995
INTRODUCED BY BEBKO-JONES, CAPPABIANCA, MERRY, BOYES AND
SCRIMENTI, APRIL 18, 1995
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
APRIL 18, 1995
A RESOLUTION
1 Saluting the City of Erie as it observes the bicentennial
2 celebration of 1995.
3 WHEREAS, In 1795 the Legislature passed an act which created
4 the town of Erie; and
5 WHEREAS, Erie attracted national attention during the War of
6 1812 when Oliver Hazard Perry, commander of a fleet of ships
7 based in Erie harbor to assist in the defense of the Great
8 Lakes, engaged the British in the famous battle of Lake Erie.
9 His report of the skirmish, "We have met the enemy and they are
10 ours," endures to this day; and
11 WHEREAS, Construction of the Erie Canal in 1844 and
12 development of railroad and steamship routes established Erie as
13 a hub of trade; and
14 WHEREAS, Manufacturing boomed in Erie during the late 19th
15 century, and its excellent harbor was home to the most
16 successful freshwater fishing fleet in the world; and
17 WHEREAS, Disaster struck the burgeoning metropolis in 1915
1 when Mill Creek flooded, sending walls of water through the
2 city, killing 29 people and causing damage in excess of $3
3 million; and
4 WHEREAS, Following World War II, the economy of Erie expanded
5 rapidly and Erie's population grew to 138,440 in the census of
6 1960; and
7 WHEREAS, While Erie's population and manufacturing activity
8 have declined somewhat, the city and its port have experienced a
9 rebirth. The port has become the focal point of downtown
10 redevelopment, and bevies of tourists visit nearby Presque Isle
11 State Park; and
12 WHEREAS, In 1995, 200 years after its creation, Erie will
13 look back to a momentous history and ahead to a flourishing
14 future; therefore be it
15 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives salute the City
16 of Erie as it observes the bicentennial celebration of 1995.
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