Erie

The name "Erie" was taken from the Erie school district, where the post office was situated. The Erie School opened in Hernandez Valley in 1871. The school was named "Erie" by Adherbal Button. He supposedly named it for the Iroquois Indian word for "cat." Erie is a short form of the Iroquois word "Erielhonan" meaning literally "long tail" and referring to the panther (cougar or mountain lion). However, it is more likely that Adherbal Button named it Erie because Erie, Pennsylvania was he and his wife's American hometown.

The school building was located a short distance from the junction of Coalinga Road and Clear Creek Road.

Postal authorities established the Erie post office in 1874 (San Benito Advance, June 27, 1874), moved it 1.5 miles northwest and changed the name to Hernandez in 1892; they moved it 1.5 miles southeast in 1896, move it 1 mile north in 1904, and discontinued it in 1936.

According to Elliot and Moore, "Erie is 65 miles from Hollister. It was named for the post office where the people of the community got their mail. The Erie post office derived it's name from the Erie school district." Shown on an 1891 map on the north side of the San Benito River near to, and northwest of the confluence of Clear Creek and San Benito River. The name was later changed to Hernandez.