by Christine Lorraine Morgan, May 6, 2026

The earliest known image of Erie was captured in 1852, and it shows the Public Dock area. It’s easy to deduce that this was a bustling place, filled with fishing operations, passenger ships, waterfront buildings and people.

This element of the port city of Erie was one of the town’s earliest commercial building blocks.

1852 was a busy time along Erie’s waterfront, which was a very active place. So much so that 59 years later, a grand double-decker dock was dedicated to help bring people in and out of Erie.

In 1909 the Public Steamboat Landing kicked off with much hoopla and fanfare at a magnificent ceremony which was attended by local and state dignitaries.

The entire town and then some all flocked to the new bayfront feature that was built to ascertain steamboats and ships would find a safe and sturdy place for their passengers to disembark when came to Erie.

This postcard is captioned “Public Dock, Erie, Pa.” but it still says “Public Steamboat Landing” across the top level. This is most likely when this transportation hub was transitioning from being a steamboat landing to simply serving as a dock for public use.

The plan worked for as long as it could, until those vessels of transportation were less and less frequently used. This preferential erosion occurred when man’s ability to travel by flight rose to prominence as the preferred method to get from Point A to Point B.

Over time, the relevance of Erie’s bayfront activity was diminished as the fishing industry dwindled, passenger ships disappeared, and the old waterfront buildings were taken out and new structures were built.

As waterfront development proceeded, the Public Steamboat Landing was

In 1987 when Erie’s Public Dock was transformed into Dobbins Landing, there was a bit of a hubbub over the name change. Temporary signage was hung over the famous “Public Dock” sign and it was somewhat off-putting to Public Dock enthusiasts.

By this point the Dock (which is actually a wharf) was rarely utilized as a spot where boats and ships were seen. The exceptions were a couple of ferries, and the lovely “Victorian Princess,” which eventually showed up as a fixture at the dock area and still operates there today.

Historic wooden schooner built in 1893, the “Lettie G Howard,” has also made the dock at Dobbins Landing her home for the past several years. Sunset cruises are offered on that Erie waterfront vessel.

From about the 1940s into the 1990s the Dock was probably the most hopping, happening famous hangout for Erie’s coming-of-age youth ever. Dock cruisers would get all slicked up, hop in their hot rods, and drive around the dock. Girls would get all gussied up and decked out, do up their hair, and don their best cruising-the-dock threads.

Those without vehicles to get to the dock walked because their feet would still get them to the place where they could make the ever-vibrant waterfront scene.

This mid 1980s photo shows throngs of young people heading to the Public Dock, both on foot and in vehicles. Take a look at the other side of State Street, the sidewalk is pretty crowded. The McDonalds in the distance has since been demolished and a new multi-story structure was built on that corner.

In 1995 ground was broken to construct the snazzy 187-foot tall Bicentennial Tower to commemorate Erie’s 200th anniversary. Today, 31 years later, this manmade monolith continues to illuminate the bayline sky at night beautifully as its colorful lights shimmer across the inky water.

Although it’s not as crazy as it was and it’s no longer limited to young people, making the scene and cruising around the dock is still an Erie thing. This recently produced video shows what it’s like on a Friday night.