Lockport is both a city and the

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...

that surrounds it in Niagara County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. The city is the Niagara county seat, with a population of 21,165 according to 2010 census figures, and an estimated population of 20,305 as of 2019. Its name derives from a set of

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing ...

locks (Lock Numbers 34 and 35) within the city that were built to allow canal barges to traverse the 60-foot natural drop of the

Niagara Escarpment The Niagara Escarpment is a long escarpment, or cuesta, in Canada and the United States that runs predominantly east–west from New York through Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin, and into Illinois. The escarpment is most famous as the cliff ove ...

. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area.

History

The New York State Legislature authorized the

's construction in April 1816. The route proposed by surveyors was to traverse an area in central Niagara County, New York, which was then "uncivilized" and free of White settlers. At the time, the nearest settlers were in nearby Cold Springs, New York. Following the announcement, land speculators began to buy large plots along and near the proposed route of the canal. By December 1820, when the exact location of the step locks had been determined, the area that would become Lockport was owned by only fifteen men, many of whom were

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abili ...

. The canal reached Lockport in 1824, but the Flight of Five Locks were not completed until 1825. By 1829, Lockport was an established village. The community was centered on the locks, and consisted mainly of immigrant Scottish and Irish canal workers brought in as labor. The workers remained in Lockport after the completion of the locks, giving the city a heavy

Celt The Celts (, see pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples () are. "CELTS location: Greater Europe time period: Second millennium B.C.E. to present ancestry: Celtic a collection of Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient ...

ic influence still discernible today, especially in the Lowertown and North Lockport neighborhoods. The city of Lockport was incorporated in 1865. The

was supplanted by the larger New York State Barge Canal in 1918, and the famous south "Flight of Five" locks was replaced by two much larger locks E34 and E35. The north "Flight of Five" lock chambers still remain as a spill way. In recent years, public officials and private businesses have made an effort to promote Lockport history as a regional or national tourist attraction. This includes the completion of the Canal Discovery Center, the Lockport Cave and Underground Boat Ride tour, and the Lockport Locks and Erie Canal Cruises. Local officials are seeking state grants to reconstruct the historic "Flight of Five" and make it a living history site complete with boat rides and reenactors. Published reports state that such a living history site in Lockport, marketed as a day trip from Niagara Falls, could draw thousands of tourists to Lockport each year. The city has a number of properties on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. They include the Bacon-Merchant-Moss House, Col. William M. and Nancy Ralston Bond House, Chase-Crowley-Keep House, Chase-Hubbard-Williams House, Nathan Comstock Jr. House, Conkey House, ''

Day Peckinpaugh ''Day Peckinpaugh'' is a historic canal motorship berthed at the Matton Shipyard on Peebles Island, Cohoes in Albany County, New York, United States. Early years ''Day Peckinpaugh'' was built in 1921 by the McDougall-Duluth Shipyard in Dulu ...

'', Dole House, Gibbs House, High and Locust Streets Historic District, Hopkins House,

House at 8 Berkley Drive 8 Berkley Drive is a historic house located at the address of the same name in Lockport, Niagara County, New York. Description and history It is a two-story, Prairie-style home designed by noted regional architect Duane Lyman Duane Lyman ...

, Lockport Industrial District, Lowertown Historic District, Maloney House, Benjamin C. Moore Mill, Niagara County Courthouse and County Clerk's Office, Thomas Oliver House, Pound–Hitchins House, Stickney House, Union Station,

United States Post Office The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...

, Peter D. Walter House, Watson House, and White-Pound House. Lockport's largest employer is General Motors Components, the former Harrison Radiator Corporation, which was founded locally in 1912 and which became a division of General Motors Corporation in 1918. After 10 years of ownership by Delphi Corporation as Delphi Thermal Systems, it returned to General Motors in October 2009. In 1948, the Lockport Chief of Police denied a permit for a

Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ...

minister to preach in a public park using a sound truck. In '' Saia v. New York'', the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the city ordinance as a violation of the

First Amendment First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of 8.6 square miles (22.4 km²), of which 8.5 square miles (22.1 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) (1.39%) is water. The

passes through the center of the city, turning south toward Tonawanda Creek. It climbs the Niagara Escarpment through a series of two modern locks. Originally, a double set of five smaller combined locks were used. Lockport is at the junction of several major truck routes, including NY Route 78 (Transit Road), NY Route 31, NY Route 77 and NY Route 93. It is 17 miles north of

Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...

via NY Route 78. The highest point is the bell tower at 452 High Street, with the street itself being the highest street as measured by frontage above the 650 feet elevation. Lockport lies in

area code 716 Area code 716 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and four surrounding counties in western New York. It was one of the original North American area codes established in 1947. Histo ...

Tourist attractions

* The Lockport Locks and Erie Canal Cruises boat rides are offered on the Erie Canal, with one proceeding upward through the modern locks for a short cruise, and returning to pass downstream under two lift bridges and then returning to the docks. * The Lockport Erie Canal Museum is in an old lock control structure between the modern Locks 34 & 35 and the remaining original "Flight of Five" Locks spillway, and contains historic photographs, maps, engineering drawings and antique machinery. * The Canal Discovery Center is housed in an old church about 100 yards to the west of the locks. * Lockport has the widest bridge (399' wide x 129' long) in North America, which spans the canal to the southwest of the locks. * The Lockport Cave and Underground Boat Ride tour can be taken near the locks. * The Niagara County Historical Society, at 215 Niagara Street, is a complex of buildings that tell the story of Niagara County history. * 100 American Craftsmen is an annual show of arts and crafts held at the Kenan Arena. The arena is on the historic Kenan Center campus. * Ida Fritz Park plays host to the Taste of Lockport every August and to a cruise night every Monday during the summer. * Lockport recently added a new ice rink for the Clarence Mustangs and Lockport Express (now defunct team in the North American 3 Hockey League) called Cornerstone Arena.

Demographics

At the 2010 census, there were 21,165 people, 9,153 households and 5,172 families residing in the city. There were 10,092 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 87.5%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 7.2%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.5% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.8% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino people of any race were 3.2% of the population. At the 2000 census, there were 9,459 households; 30.5% of households included children under the age of 18, 41.4% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 3.03. 25.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males. The

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways ...

was $35,228, and the median family income was $44,614. Males had a median income of $35,197 and females $23,944. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

was $19,620. About 11.7% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.

Local politics

The city is governed by a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected to a four-year term, the aldermen to two-year terms. There are five wards in the city, resulting in five aldermen plus one alderman-at-large, who is elected by the entire city. In 2003, Michael W. Tucker was elected mayor of the city of Lockport; he was subsequently reelected in 2007 and 2011. However, he resigned in 2014 instead of serving his third four-year term. City of Lockport Common Council President and 2nd Ward Alderwoman Anne McCaffrey replaced Tucker as interim mayor and was sworn in on February 24, 2014. She was later elected to a full four-year term that began in January 2016. She resigned and accepted the position as president and CEO of Eastern Niagara Hospital.

Education

Lockport City School District oversees all local public schools. * Anna Merritt Elementary School * Charles Upson Elementary School * George M. Southard Elementary School * Roy B. Kelley Elementary School * Emmet Belknap Intermediate School * Aaron Mossell Junior High School * Lockport High School * Lockport High School West * DeSales Catholic School DeSales Catholic School is a local private elementary school within the regional Diocese of Buffalo. The school was named after St. Francis de Sales. Previously a high school, it now teaches classes from pre-school through eighth grade.

Notable people

Some people of note who were born in Lockport are: * Kim Alexis, supermodel *

Walter Ransom Gail Baker Walter Ransom Gail Baker (November 30, 1892 – October 30, 1960) was an American electrical engineer. He was a vice president of General Electric, and was Director of Engineering for the Radio Manufacturers Association (now the Electronic Industr ...

, former vice president of

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable ene ...

, director of engineering for the

Radio Manufacturers Association The Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA; until 1997 Electronic Industries Association) was an American standards and trade organization composed as an alliance of trade associations for electronics manufacturers in the United States. They deve ...

, founder of

NTSC The first American standard for analog television broadcast was developed by National Television System Committee (NTSC)National Television System Committee (1951–1953), Report and Reports of Panel No. 11, 11-A, 12–19, with Some supplement ...

Philip Baruth Philip E. Baruth (born February 10, 1962) is an American politician, novelist, biographer, professor, and former radio commentator from Vermont. A Democrat and member of the Vermont Progressive Party, he represents Chittenden County in the Verm ...

, writer and politician * George W. Batten, former New York State Treasurer * Anna Smeed Benjamin (1834-1924), social reformer * Holly Broadbent Sr., orthodontist * Lillian Bronson, film/TV character actress * Ellen Burrell, professor of mathematics at

Wellesley College Wellesley College is a private women's liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henry and Pauline Durant as a female seminary, it is a member of the original Seven Sisters Colleges, an unofficial ...

* Bernard Buzyniski, retired

American Football League The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...

player * Helen Stuart Campbell, social reformer and home economist * Jerry Cook, race car driver * Francis R. Delano, banker and lawyer * Geoffrey Deuel, actor * Lyman Draper, secretary for the

Wisconsin Historical Society The Wisconsin Historical Society (officially the State Historical Society of Wisconsin) is simultaneously a state agency and a private membership organization whose purpose is to maintain, promote and spread knowledge relating to the history of N ...

Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin The Superintendent of Public Instruction, sometimes referred to as the State Superintendent of Schools, is a constitutional officer within the executive branch of the Wisconsin state government, and acts as the executive head of the Department of ...

* Ferrin Fraser, radio script writer for ''

Little Orphan Annie ''Little Orphan Annie'' is a daily American comic strip created by Harold Gray and syndicated by the Tribune Media Services. The strip took its name from the 1885 poem " Little Orphant Annie" by James Whitcomb Riley, and it made its debut on ...

'' and '' Frank Buck'' * Harold Huston George, general officer in the United States Army Air Forces during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

Lt Col Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

William G. Gregory, astronaut (ret.) in the

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeedin ...

Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program n ...

program * Katherine Hannigan, writer * Tommy Hicks, boxer *

Alice Tisdale Hobart Alice Tisdale Hobart (January 28, 1882 – March 14, 1967) born Alice Nourse in Lockport, New York, was an American novelist. Her most famous book, '' Oil for the Lamps of China'', which was also made into a film, drew heavily on her experiences ...

, novelist *

William Leonard Hunt William Leonard Hunt (June 10, 1838 – January 17, 1929), also known by the stage name The Great Farini, was a well-known nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Canadian funambulist, entertainment promoter and inventor, as well as the first kn ...

(1838–1929), also known by the stage name the Great Farini, tightrope performances at Niagara Falls, inventor of the " human cannonball" * James Jackson, Jr., former US Congressman, Mayor of Lockport * Sean Kugler, head coach for the

UTEP Miners football The UTEP Miners football program represents University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in the sport of American football. The Miners compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the West D ...

team * William F. Leonard, Medal of Honor recipient *

Duane Lyman Duane Lyman (1886–1966) was an architect based in Buffalo, New York, known for his prolific career which included 100 school buildings, many churches, and numerous large homes both in the city and suburban communities. At the time of his death, ...

, architect *

Othniel Charles Marsh Othniel Charles Marsh (October 29, 1831 – March 18, 1899) was an American professor of Paleontology in Yale College and President of the National Academy of Sciences. He was one of the preeminent scientists in the field of paleontology. Among ...

, 19th-century paleontologist, discovered and named many fossils found in the American West * Timothy McVeigh, convicted terrorist responsible for

Oklahoma City bombing The Oklahoma City bombing was a domestic terrorist truck bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, on April 19, 1995. Perpetrated by two anti-government extremists, Timothy McVeigh and T ...

* Stephanie Miller, nationally syndicated radio talk show host and daughter of William E. Miller *

William E. Miller William Edward Miller (March 22, 1914 – June 24, 1983) was an American politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from New York as a Republican. During the 1964 presidential election, he was the Republican nominee fo ...

, 1964 vice presidential running mate of

Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and United States Air Force officer who was a five-term U.S. Senator from Arizona (1953–1965, 1969–1987) and the Republican Party nominee for president ...

* William G. Morgan, inventor of

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...

* John Murphy,

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division ...

radio announcer * Edwin Griswold Nourse, economist *

Joyce Carol Oates Joyce Carol Oates (born June 16, 1938) is an American writer. Oates published her first book in 1963, and has since published 58 novels, a number of plays and novellas, and many volumes of short stories, poetry, and non-fiction. Her novels '' Bla ...

, author and professor * Frank C. Penfold, artist, teacher *

Cuthbert W. Pound Cuthbert Winfred Pound (June 20, 1864 – February 3, 1935, Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1932 to 1934. Life He was born on June 2 ...

, former Chief Judge of the

New York Court of Appeals The New York Court of Appeals is the highest court in the Unified Court System of the State of New York. The Court of Appeals consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge and six Associate Judges who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by ...

* John J. Raskob, DuPont and General Motors executive * John B. Raymond, delegate from

Dakota Territory The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of N ...

to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

* Chris Sacca, tech start-up venture capitalist, former Head of Special Initiatives at

Google Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...

John Shulock John Richard Shulock (born April 29, 1947) is a former professional baseball umpire who worked in the American League from 1979 to 1999 and throughout Major League Baseball between 2000 and 2002. Shulock wore number 29 when the AL adopted them f ...

, retired MLB umpire * Clip Smith, talk radio host * Mark Snell, retired professional soccer player, former coach * Brandon Stickney, journalist, author, and documentarian * Daren Stone, professional football player *

Robert Thurston Robert Thurston (28 October 1936 – 20 October 2021) was a science fiction author well known for his works in popular shared world settings. Career Thurston attended the Clarion Workshop at Clarion State College, Pennsylvania in 1968, instr ...

, science fiction writer * Jack White, race car driver * Charley Wood, amusement park developer * Brock Yates, automotive writer and author, senior editor of ''Car and Driver'' magazine, wrote story and scripts for movies ''

The Cannonball Run ''The Cannonball Run'' is a 1981 action comedy film. It was directed by Hal Needham, produced by Hong Kong's Golden Harvest films, and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Filmed in Panavision, it features an all-star ensemble cast, including B ...

'' and ''Smokey & the Bandit 2'' Some people of note who have resided in Lockport are: * Maltbie Davenport Babcock, clergyman *

John J. Bagley John Judson Bagley (July 24, 1832 – July 27, 1881) was a politician from the US state of Michigan, as well as the 16th governor of Michigan. Early life in New York and Michigan Bagley was born in Medina, New York to John and Mary M. (Smith) ...

, former Governor of Michigan * Raphael Beck (1848–1947), artist, sculptor * John Beilein, former collegiate and professional basketball coach * John Black, former mayor of

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...

* William W. Campbell, former New York State Senator *

Lot Clark Lot Clark (May 23, 1788 in Hillsdale, Columbia County, New York – December 18, 1862 in Buffalo, Erie County, New York) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. Life Clark removed with his parents to Otsego County in 1796. He ...

, former US Congressman * Richard Crowley, former US Congressman * Oliver Dyer, first Congressional shorthand reporter * Brent Nicholson Earle, AIDS activist * Lewis Eaton, former US Congressman *

Timothy E. Ellsworth Timothy Edwards Ellsworth (September 21, 1836 in East Windsor, Hartford County, Connecticut – February 10, 1904 in Lockport, Niagara County, New York) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was President pro tempore of t ...

, former New York State Senator * Thomas T. Flagler, former US Congressman * David Gibson, Canadian politician *

Geoffrey Giuliano Geoffrey Giuliano (born September 11, 1953)
''Tell Me What Y ...

, author, actor and syndicated radio host * William G. Gregory, NASA astronaut * Herbert C. Harrison, sometimes credited with the invention of the modern honeycomb automobile

radiator Radiators are heat exchangers used to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for the purpose of cooling and heating. The majority of radiators are constructed to function in cars, buildings, and electronics. A radiator is always ...

and founder of Harrison Radiator, now a part of General Motors' components division *

William Hawley Lieutenant-Colonel William Hawley (1851–1941) was a British archaeologist who undertook pioneering excavations at Stonehenge. Military career Hawley joined the Royal Engineers and was a captain of the Portsmouth division of the Royal Engin ...

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

Brigadier General * Birdsill Holly, inventor, credited with inventing the first integrated fire hydrant system along with 150 U.S. patents, many related to the Holly Steam Combination Company *

Mark Hopkins, Jr. Mark Hopkins Jr. (September 1, 1813 – March 29, 1878) was an American railroad executive. He was one of four principal investors that funded Theodore D. Judah's idea of building a railway over the Sierra Nevada from Sacramento, California ...

, 1813–1878, lawyer and businessman who lived in Reynales Basin (east of Gasport in Niagara County) and later Lockport from c. 1829 to c. 1848; eventually became one of the "Big Four" of California (i.e. The Central Pacific Railroad) with partners Stanford, Crocker, and Huntington that was formed in 1861 *

Washington Hunt Washington Hunt (August 5, 1811 – February 2, 1867) was an American lawyer and politician. Life and career Hunt was born in Windham, New York. He moved to Lockport, New York in 1828 to study law, was admitted to the bar in 1834, and opene ...

, former Governor of New York * Michael Huskey,

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

recipient *

Tom Jolls Tom Jolls (born August 16, 1933) is a retired television personality best known for his 34-year tenure at WKBW-TV in Buffalo, New York. At WKBW, Jolls hosted "The Weather Outside" segments during ''Eyewitness News'', performed many of the station' ...

, TV weatherman * William R. Kenan, Jr., businessman * Benajah Mallory,

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada (french: link=no, province du Haut-Canada) was a Province, part of The Canadas, British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North Americ ...

political figure *

, American prosecutor at Nuremberg War-Crimes trials; member of

1951–1965;

Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in ...

Chairman 1961–1964;

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa * Republican Party (Liberia) *Republican Party ...

Vice President nominee on 1964 Goldwater-Miller ticket; only practicing Catholic to be nominated for national office by the party until

Paul Ryan Paul Davis Ryan (born January 29, 1970) is an American former politician who served as the 54th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was the vice presidential nominee i ...

in 2012; later starred in

American Express American Express Company (Amex) is an American multinational corporation, multinational corporation specialized in payment card industry, payment card services headquartered at 200 Vesey Street in the Battery Park City neighborhood of Lower Man ...

"Do you know me?" commercials * Charles F. Mitchell, former US Congressman * Aaron Albert Mossell, first African American to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania Law School *

Jeremy O'Day Jeremy O'Day (born August 31, 1974 in Buffalo, New York) is the current general manager and vice president of football operations for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and a former Canadian Football League offensive lineman. He grew up in Lockport, Ne ...

, retired CFL player *

Chauncey Olcott Chauncey Olcott, born John Chancellor Olcott and often spelled Chauncey Alcott, (July 21, 1858 – March 18, 1932) was an American stage actor, songwriter and singer of Irish descent. Biography He was born in Buffalo, New York. His mother, Mar ...

, stage actor and songwriter, known for the ballad " When Irish Eyes Are Smiling"; Olcott spent summers as a youth in Lockport in an "Irish shanty" with his maternal grandmother * Charles Gilbert Peterson, former mayor and contractor * Gilbert Peterson, contractor of multiple waterworks and reservoirs projects along with expansion of the Erie Canal; superintendent of both the Western and Eastern divisions of the Erie Canal * Jesse Peterson, presidential elector and industrialist, president of the United Indurated Fibre Company * Lyman C. Pettit, founder and first president of the Pentecostal Collegiate Institute (now Eastern Nazarene College) *

Thomas Stinson Thomas Stinson (15 July 1798 – 13 March 1864) was a Hamilton, Ontario merchant, banker, and landowner. Early life and marriage Stinson was born in 1798 near Drum, County Monaghan, Ireland. In 1822 Stinson migrated to North America ...

Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of ...

, businessman * The

Seven Sutherland Sisters The Seven Sutherland Sisters was a singing group which included the seven daughters of Fletcher and Mary Sutherland of Lockport, New York. They appeared with Barnum and Bailey's from the late 1880s to the early 1900s. Their distinguishing feat ...

, long-haired singing group traveling with

Barnum and Bailey The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling) is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Ear ...

's "Greatest Show on Earth" * Burt Van Horn, former US Congressman * Thomas Wall, Wisconsin businessman and state legislator *

Samuel Works Samuel Works (c. 1781 – January 2, 1868) was an American politician from New York. Life He was born December 4, 1781, at Westmoreland, New Hampshire, the son of Samuel Works and Susanna (Chandler) Works. In 1816, he removed to Rochester, New ...

, former New York State Senator

Notable businesses

Yahoo Yahoo! (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web services provider. It is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and operated by the namesake company Yahoo! Inc. (2017–present), Yahoo Inc., which is 90% owned by investment funds ma ...

operates a large data center to the west of the city. * First Niagara Bank, founded in 1870 as Farmers & Mechanics Savings Bank, has grown to include branches throughout New York and Pennsylvania and, with the April 2011 acquisition of

NewAlliance Bank NewAlliance Bancshares, doing business as NewAlliance Bank, was the second largest Connecticut-based savings bank. It was formed in 2004 through the union of The Savings Bank of Manchester, New Haven Savings Bank, and Tolland Bank. First Niagara ...

based in New Haven, Connecticut, is one of the largest regional banks in the country. *General Motors, Lockport was founded in 1910 as the Harrison Radiator Company for the purpose of designing, manufacturing, and selling automotive radiators and components. Since that time the company has flourished into a lean manufacturing site that produces a wide array of Powertrain Cooling and HVAC components and systems. The company has historically been a significant employer of the local population and currently employs almost 1400 people. *The Palace Theatre a neoclassical theatre, was constructed by Charles Dickinson beginning in 1922 and opening July 18, 1925. During opening, Lock City Theater Company President A. Edmund Lee was quoted as saying it was "built not for the aristocracy, but for all the people.” It is designed with a mix of art deco and Italian Renaissance styles complete with wall and ceiling murals. The theatre underwent an interior redesign in 1936, with John Eberson as the architect. In 1969, the Palace Theatre closed its doors, and it stood vacant until it was bought by Granchelli Real Estate in 1972. Although there was talk of demolishing the theatre, the Palace reopened later that same year "under either direct or indirect management of the Dipson Theatres chain." The theatre underwent restorations in 1973, and it reopened in 1974. By 1999 profits started to dwindle as other businesses began to leave Lockport's downtown area and patrons became less frequent. Later that same year, "Curtain Up Productions" leased the space until 2003, when the theatre was sold to Historic Palace Theatre Inc., a community-based not-for-profit organization which has maintained its commitment to keeping the theatre active. In 2021, the Palace Theatre finished its most recent restoration project at a cost of $4.1 million, with "$600,000 coming through Lockport's Downtown Revitalization Initiative award."

References

* Peca, Paulette (2005), ''Lockport'', Arcadia Publishing,

Notes

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lockport, New York Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area Cities in New York (state) Cities in Niagara County, New York County seats in New York (state) Erie Canal