Black Facts: Unlocked

Some of Erie’s most important Black stories were never given the spotlight they deserved. That’s why facts like this matter. Our latest Erie Facts You Should Know shines a light on how much Black history in Erie went under-documented for generations, and why reclaiming those stories is so important right now. This isn’t just about the past, it’s about making sure the culture, the struggle, and the legacy are finally seen, heard, and remembered.

One of the better-known residents of Erie in the nineteenth century was Albert Vosburgh, a prominent barber, businessman, and savvy real estate investor. Samuel P. Bates, in his 1884 book History of Erie County, Pennsylvania, described Vosburgh as an unmarried man of "ample means" who was a "zealous" political advocate, uninterested in running for office but deeply interested in expanding civil rights across Pennsylvania. He owned and lived in his family's mansion at 314 French St. with his daughter and his sister's family, and also owned six other houses and ten lots of land across the city.