This is Black Friday, traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year for local businesses.  There was a time when every day was Black Friday in Erie.    Back in the 1850s, the city forced travelers to stay here and spend money.  That led to something called The Erie Gauge War.  It is one of the most controversial periods in Erie's history.

During that period, Erie was served by many railroad lines. The Erie and North East railroad owned the track from State Street east to the New York State border.  The gauge, or the width, between the rails on that stretch of track was six feet.  The gauge of the track from State Street west to the Ohio border was four feet ten inches.  That meant passengers traveling through Erie had to change trains twice because of the difference in track.  The forced delay meant people had to stay awhile in Erie during the transfer.  Some passengers even had to spend the night.  Erie business people loved it.  Passengers hated it.

The Buffalo and State Line Railroad, in 1853, attempted to buy out the Erie and North East Railroad and make the rail gauge a uniform 4 foot ten inches all the way from Cleveland to Buffalo. Erie City Council was fearful that action would end the city’s economic bonanza. So, city council took a stand.

"Erie, earlier that same year, had created an ordinance that said it was a public nuisance to have a 4 foot 10 inch railroad gauge from the center of Erie eastward,” says George Deutsch, Executive Director of the Hagen History Center.

The railroad company from Buffalo began to lay the new track in Erie. However, Erie Mayor Alfred King enforced the city ordinance with an iron hand.

"The Mayor of Erie, Mayor King, deputized 150 special police and they marched up to 14th and State.  There was a long bridge from 14th and State to 14th and French and they tore the bridge down,” says Deutsch.

This was the beginning of several weeks of chaos and destruction in Erie.  Even the citizens of Harborcreek got involved.  The national image of Erie took a big hit.

The Last Word on Erie News Now will have details of the chaos and destruction as its story on the Erie Gauge War continues on Monday.