The Three Forts of Erie and Their Economic Importance Today
Erie is at the gate of an urban revitalization process – a second spring,
prompted by its new comprehensive plan, Erie Refocused, released in
2016 by Charles Buki's firm, CZB. Since the 1980s, older industrial cities
from Pittsburgh to Chattanooga have undergone various degrees of
transformational change. The history of where, why, and how these cities
grew as they did provides an important backdrop to their present economic,
cultural, and social development. In the Jefferson Essay, author Michael
Fuhrman argues that public history and a community's story are powerful
tools for urban revitalization at the grass roots and that capitalizing on these
core assets must be a primary part of the recovery strategy. This lecture will
discuss the essay's findings and make a case for why heritage tourism could
play a critical role in Erie's future.
-Michael Fuhrman, M.S.A.
*This lecture will be held at our satellite location at Fairview Area Historical Society at 4302 Avonia Road
Michael Fuhrman, M.S.A., was born in Frankfurt, Germany to a U.S. Army Master Sergeant, and returned to his family’s hometown of Erie at the age of seven, where he grew up in Marvintown at 27th and Parade Streets, graduating from St. John’s, Academy High School, and Mercyhurst College on Erie’s east side. An All-City linebacker on Mercyhurst’s inaugural football team, Michael graduated in 1985 with a B.A. in Dance. He spent more than two years touring Europe, returning home as Lake Erie Ballet’s first principal dancer. He earned a second degree in English from Mercyhurst and an M.S. in Nonprofit Administration from the University of Notre Dame. He was the Director of the 1995 Greater Erie Bicentennial, Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center, Project Manager for Destination Erie and founder of the Jefferson’s Civic Leadership Academy. Michael Fuhrman is the Executive Director of All Aboard Erie which is a member of the Lakeshore Rail Alliance.
