Erie was started in 1790 by Métis moving south from Monroe. Early on, a log church named St. Joseph sur la baie Miami was built here. Father Gabriel Richard often would conduct Mass here. The township was officially organized as one of the first five townships in Monroe County, Michigan Territory in 1827. The township was originally much larger and included the present-day townships of Bedford, La Salle, and about a stretch of the Toledo Strip. When a post office was established in 1827, it was given the name of Bay Settlement. The township's name was changed to Erie in 1835. Bedford Township and La Salle Township were broken off from Erie Township and established in 1836. In the same year, the Toledo Strip portion of Erie Township was given to the state of Ohio. Luna Pier, which occupied the northeast portion of the township, incorporated from the township in 1963. The last boundary change within Erie Township came in 1973 when the Supreme Court of the United States intervened on a border dispute involving the small and uninhabited Turtle Island. The island was divided in half, with one side given to Erie Township. The other side of the island, which contains the abandoned Turtle Island Light, was given to Ohio.
Communities
Erie is an unincorporated community located in the northwest portion of the township at the intersection of Erie Road and M-125.
Lost Peninsula is an unincorporated community located in the southeastern-most portion of the township. It is located on Point Place Peninsula, which is surrounded by the Ottawa River on the west and Maumee Bay on the east. Lost Peninsula is an exclave of the township, as its only land border is with the state of Ohio. The Toledo neighborhood of Point Place borders Lost Peninsula to the south.
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,850 people, 1,789 households, and 1,343 families residing in the township. The population density was 201.1 per square mile. There were 1,917 housing units at an average density of 79.5 per square mile. The racial makeup of the township was 95.32% White, 1.01% African American, 0.60% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 1.42% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.29% of the population. There were 1,789 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.3% were married couplesliving together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.9% were non-families. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.13. In the township the population was spread out, with 27.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.6 males. The median income for a household in the township was $52,442, and the median income for a family was $59,089. Males had a median income of $46,810 versus $27,900 for females. The per capita income for the township was $21,494. About 4.5% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.0% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.
