This talk is not serious history but rather a casual stroll through an important, but often overlooked, part of our city. It is based on the premise that the area around lower Parade Street has historically been the Ellis Island of Erie and Erie County. It shows the neighborhood during several waves of immigration and assimilation. And curiously, it continues to fulfill that role to this day. Slides show this neighborhood's ethnic churches, businesses and social organizations and their impact on Erie's history. These are interspersed with contemporary photos showing the same things existing with a different cultural focus. The talk touches on the impact that immigration has on our daily life, such as foods that we consume every day that not all that long ago were "foreign". i.e., pizza, yogurt, hummus, sushi, taco etc.
Location: Erie City Hall, Council Chamber 626 State St. Erie, PA 16501
Date/Time:Saturday, August 20, 2-3:00 pm
Admission: FREE
Parking: street parking, parking garages available
Please read our full Covid-19 policy here (updated July 21, 2022).
Ed Whitbred, B.S., is an Erie “Lifer” who grew up in the neighborhood he will discuss. He attended Jones School, East High, and graduated from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and taught for two years at McDowell High School in Millcreek. He then spent 35 years at Procter and Gamble where he wore a number of hats but was always paid by the sales department. For 18 years he has been one of the hosts and producers for “The Amazing Grays,” a senior-oriented television show produced by Community Access Media. As a lay worship leader in the Lutheran Church, he has been preaching and conducting services about once a month for more than a decade, and he is the program chairman for the Y Speakers Series.