Visit our Erie Museum, relax by the Neosho River, enjoy a malt in our soda fountain, play a round of golf, relax in our Library, have a good meal, and spend the night – all in Erie, Kansas.
The county seat of Neosho County, Erie is on highway US59 in the valley of the Neosha River and about a mile northeast. Downtown Erie has nice old buildings and a pleasant park. Down the street, the sign on the front of the Erie Record proudly boasts “Since 1876.”
Erie is famous for its annual free Bean Feed where thousands of guests share a free meal. One of the huge pots dating back to 1873 used for cooking beans sits in front of the courthouse.
Erie is unusual in that the city can generate electricity for the town’s needs and still be able to sell large amounts to commercial utilities. The city is also rebuilding its infrastructure to prepare for the new century.
Originally a town called Erie, now referred to as “Old Erie,” was started two miles northwest of the present town site, and two miles southeast another town was started named Crawfordsville. The proprietors of the two towns made a compromise with each other, agreed to abandon both places and selected the present townsite for the new location. This was in 1866.
