Rockne also married a local woman, Bonnie in a Sandusky church. The county's early beginnings as a seaport and transportation center resulted in the development of a diverse and successful economy. Cedar Point also offers a water park, beach, live stage shows, giant IMAX movie screen aquarium, miniature golf, go-carts, campground, hotels, marina, and several restaurants. Although Cedar Point is the main attraction for the millions of vacationers that come to the area every summer, it is not the only attraction. The community's proximity to the Lake Erie Islands also attracts many visitors.
Retailing is a very important segment of the area's economy.
Erie County, according to statistics compiled by Ohio State University, ranks third among Ohio's 88 counties at attracting shoppers. There are a number of plazas and quaint shopping areas, a large enclosed mall, and a factory outlet center. More than 50 percent of the county's land is used for farming such diverse crops as sweet corn, tomatoes, celery, apples, grapes, peaches, strawberries, melons, lettuce, onions, wheat and soybeans. There are also a number of livestock farms throughout the county that raise cattle and hogs. Erie County has six public school districts, a vocational school that serves the tri-county area, several parochial and private schools, a school for the developmentally and physically disabled, and the Firelands College of Bowling Green State University.