Little known facts about Erie and Erie County

Did you know . . .

Former astronaut Paul J. Weitz is from Erie County. Weitz commanded the space shuttle challenger on its first trip to space and also spent time on Skylab.

Despite its reputation for nasty winters, Erie averages less snow per year than its bigger neighbor, Buffalo, NY.

Erie was named after the Eriez Indians. The tribe no longer exists, having been wiped out by other tribes.

Presque Isle State Park receives more than four million visitors each year.

Presque Isle is French for "almost an island." At times, the peninsula has been an island when lake waters swamped its narrow neck.

Erie gets its water not from the Presque Isle bay, but from the lake. An intake pipe runs under the bay, under the peninsula and into the lake.

Erie had only two television stations, CBS affiliate WSEE and NBC affiliate WICU, until 1966, when ABC affiliate WJET signed on.

Erie is Pennsylvania's only Great Lakes port, and one of the oldest cities on the Great Lakes, having been founded in 1795.

Attention, polka fans! Erie's Mercyhurst College broadcasts a polka show every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern Time at Erieradio.com.