Lockport, Louisiana
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Lockport is a
town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
on
Bayou Lafourche Bayou Lafourche ( ), originally called Chetimachas River or La Fourche des Chetimaches (the fork of the Chitimacha), is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 20, 2011 b ...
in
Lafourche Parish Lafourche Parish () is a parish located in the south of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Thibodaux. The parish was formed in 1807. It was originally the northern part of Lafourche Interior Parish, which consisted of the present ...
,
Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
, United States. The population was 2,490 in 2020. It is part of the HoumaBayou CaneThibodaux metropolitan statistical area.


History

Lockport, founded in 1835, traces its history to Jacques Lamotte, who in 1790 owned a large tract of land along Bayou Lafourche. Lemotte sold a portion of the tract to Messrs. Mercier and Marcantel in 1814. In 1823 William Field purchased a parcel of the land and later donated 5 arpents of it on both banks of Bayou Lafourche to Barataria and Lafourche Canal Company. As part of the transaction, the company agreed to build a canal, which would link Bayou Terrebonne to New Orleans. Allou D'Hemecourt surveyed the area in 1835. His map bears the name Longueville. Eventually, the village's name would become Lockport. At first the canal, completed in 1847, brought prosperity to the area. Three years later locks were completed at the point where the canal reached Bayou Lafourche. Shipping along the canal was brisk until 1868. After that time, part of the waterway was no longer in use. The crevasse of 1876 partially destroyed the locks. Today remnants of the brick bulwark are still visible under a blanket of weeds. Lockport prospered in spite of the canal's failure as a business venture. In 1849 the first public school opened. It was a one-room affair in Scanian's Cooperage. In 1850 Holy Savior Catholic Church was dedicated, and in 1879 an order of nuns established Holy Savior School. The Village of Lockport was incorporated in 1899, and a mayor and board of aldermen were named. At the turn of the century, the village boasted a post office, brick sidewalks, an iron bridge over the bayou, a newspaper, ice house, banks, hotels, liveries, blacksmith shop, clothing stores, grocery and general merchandise stores, and various other enterprises. The iron bridge created quite a stir among the populace. It joined Lockport to Rita, the settlement on the east bank of the bayou. One of the worst calamities to touch the village occurred in 1916, when a disastrous fire destroyed a large part of the business area and several homes. As a result of this tragedy, a water tower was erected on Main Street near the present day Sheriff's Annex, where it stood until
Hurricane Betsy Hurricane Betsy was an intense, deadly and destructive tropical cyclone that brought widespread damage to areas of Florida, the Bahamas, and the central United States Gulf Coast in September 1965. The storm's erratic nature, coupled with ...
destroyed it in 1965. By 1948 Lockport's population had grown to the point where its status was changed from village to town. Its boundaries had been expanded, and later the site of the canal bridge was changed to fifth street, now Crescent Avenue. Highway 1 no longer ran along Main Street. Several businesses sprang up along the new route, and that area has become the business hub of the town. Today Lockport is a progressive community, dependent upon a diversified economy, surrounded by industries such as shipbuilding, sugarcane farming, oil and gas exploration, cattle, fishing, and a variety of vegetable farms. Through the years Lockport has managed to retain its small town quality - a quality that welcomes visitors who travel along Bayou Lafourche, the longest street in the world


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and (3.12%) is water.


Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,490 people, 983 households, and 598 families residing in the town.


Government and infrastructure

The
United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...
operates the Lockport Post Office. The town government operates in the Lockport Civic Complex (Town Hall) on Church Street.


Education

Lafourche Parish Public Schools Lafourche Parish Public Schools is a school district headquartered in Thibodaux, Louisiana. The district serves all of Lafourche Parish, including a portion of Des Allemands.Central Lafourche High School in Mathews, formed by a 1966 merger of Lockport High School and Raceland High School. Holy Savior Catholic School opened in 1879, established by an order of nuns.History
" Town of Lockport. Retrieved on November 29, 2016.
A
one-room schoolhouse One-room schoolhouses, or One-room schools, have been commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries, including Prussia, Norway, Sweden, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Portugal, and Spa ...
established in 1849 at Scanian’s Cooperage was the first school in Lockport. The
501(C)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...
Camille and Braxton Hebert Memorial Fund Inc. was used to establish recreational areas/playgrounds at both elementary schools. The fund was named after the brother and sister Camille and Braxton Hebert, who were murdered by their mother, Amy Hebert, on August 20, 2007. The playground at Lockport Lower has the text "Braxton's Buddies". Camille's Court, at Lockport Upper, was scheduled to be a basketball court decorated with a plaque and flowerbed. Lafourche Parish Library operates the Lockport Branch.
Fletcher Technical Community College L. E. Fletcher Technical Community College is a community college in Schriever, Louisiana, United States, in Terrebonne Parish. The school was founded on June 23, 1948. Its service area includes Iberia, Lafourche, St. Mary Mary was a firs ...
has Lafourche Parish in the college's service area. The college maintains a facility in Lockport. Additionally, a
Delgado Community College Delgado Community College (DCC) is a public community college in Louisiana, with campuses throughout the New Orleans metropolitan area. Its current campuses are in New Orleans (Orleans Parish) and in Jefferson Parish. The original City Park Camp ...
document stated that Lafourche Parish was in the college's service area.


Notable people

* Jefferson J. DeBlanc, pilot who received the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
for his actions in World War II *
Dick Guidry Richard P. Guidry, known as Dick Guidry was an American politician and businessman, who served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives The Louisiana House of Representatives (; ) is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legisla ...
, former state representative from Lafourche Parish and former owner of drive-in theaters


References


External links


Town of Lockport
{{authority control Towns in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana Towns in Louisiana Towns in Houma – Thibodaux metropolitan area