[4] A settlement named "Erie", later referred to as "Old Erie" and "Beantown USA", was platted 2 miles (3.2 km) northwest of the present townsite, while another community, known as Crawfordsville, was started two miles northeast of the current site.

Four men gave 40 acres each, that butted together, out of their 160-acre shares, to create the city plat of Erie.

These men were: David Bray, Luther Puckett, John Himmelwright and Peter Walter.

Each member of this company donated forty acres of land in the center of Section 32, Township 28, Range 20 east.

[7] Erie's first fire company was established in November 1866; its charter members were those men who had donated the land on which the community was built.

On December 30, the trustees met and declared Erie to be a city of the 3rd class.

After a lawsuit reached the Kansas Supreme Court, Erie retained the position of county seat.

[6] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.21 square miles (3.13 km2), all of it land.

[9] The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.

[10] The 2020 United States census counted 1,047 people, 418 households, and 284 families in Erie.

[24] The Extension Service's mission is to help country residents with questions about their lawn and garden, crops and livestock, health and nutrition and family living.

[28][29] Salt pork and navy beans were a staple food for soldiers in the Civil War.

Now over 1,400 pounds of beans are cooked in more than 50 iron kettles on the Courthouse lawn by the American Legion Post.

Other events include the Rodeo held on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings during Reunion Week.

The Old Soldiers and Sailors Reunion culminates on Friday night when Mainstreet Memories brings in Country and Western Recording Artists from Nashville each year.

They built a new green high school in Erie which opened for classes in the Fall 2010 semester.

The demolition of the old Erie Grade and Middle School brick building began in May 2013 and lasted into July, with the Amish assisting.