View source for Lockport, New York

{{short description|City in New York, United States}}
{{About|the city|the surrounding town|Lockport (town), New York}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Lockport, New York
| settlement_type    = [[Administrative divisions of New York#City|City]]
| nickname           = The Lock City
| motto              = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline      = Erie Canal and Flight of Five Locks from Canal Street, Lockport, New York - 20210531.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = Downtown Lockport with Locks 34 and 35 Below
| image_flag         = Flag of Lockport, New York.png
| image_seal         = Seal of Lockport, New York.png
<!-- Maps -->
| image_map          = Niagara County New York incorporated and unincorporated areas Lockport highlighted.svg
| mapsize            = 260px
| map_caption        = Location in [[Niagara County, New York|Niagara County]] and the state of [[New York (state)|New York]]
<!-- Location -->| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[New York (state)|New York]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in New York|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Niagara County, New York|Niagara]]
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = [[mayor-council government|Mayor-council]]
| leader_title       = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name        = John Lombardi III ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])
| leader_title1      = [[city council|Common Council]]
| leader_name1       = {{Collapsible list
 |title       = Members' List
 |frame_style = border:none; padding: 0;
 |title_style = <!-- (optional) -->
 |list_style  = text-align:left;display:none;
 |1           = At-Large Member:
 |2           = • Kevin M. Kirchberger ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])
 |3           = • W1: John D. Craig ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])
 |4           = • W2: Anita Mullane ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])
 |5           = • W3: Mark S. Devine ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])
 |6           = • W4: Kathryn Fogle ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])
 |7           = • W5: Margaret Lupo ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])
}}
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = <!-- Area -->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=September 20, 2022}}</ref>
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 21.87
| area_land_km2      = 21.76
| area_water_km2     = 0.12
| area_total_sq_mi   = 8.45
| area_land_sq_mi    = 8.40
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.05
<!-- Population -->| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 20876
| population_density_km2 = 959.58
| population_density_sq_mi = 2485.24
<!-- General information -->| timezone           = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = EDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 187
| elevation_ft       = 614
| coordinates        = {{coord|43|10|11|N|78|41|28|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code]]s
| postal_code        = 14094-14095
| area_code          = [[Area code 716|716]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 36-43082
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 0955783
| website            = {{URL|lockportny.gov}}
| footnotes          = 
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
| population_est     = 
}}

'''Lockport''' is both a city and the [[Lockport (town), New York|town]] that surrounds it in [[Niagara County, New York]], United States. 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.<ref name="USCensusEst2019">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2019.html|title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates|access-date=May 21, 2020}}</ref>

Its name derives from a set of [[Erie Canal]] [[Lock (water navigation)|locks]] (Lock Numbers 34 and 35) within the city that were built to allow canal barges to traverse the {{convert|60|foot||adj=mid| natural drop}} of the [[Niagara Escarpment]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Gannett|first=Henry|title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ|year=1905|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n188 189]}}</ref> It is part of the [[Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area]].

== History ==
[[File:Lockport bartlett color.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|''Lockport 1839'' by [[William Henry Bartlett]]]]
The New York State Legislature authorized the [[Erie Canal]]'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, Buffalo, New York|Cold Springs, New York]]. Following the announcement, land [[speculation|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]].

The city of Lockport was incorporated in 1865. The [[Erie Canal]] 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 spillway.

In recent years,{{when|date=September 2021}} 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 listings in Niagara County, New York|National Register of Historic Places]]. 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]]'', [[Dole House (Lockport, New York)|Dole House]], [[Gibbs House (Lockport, New York)|Gibbs House]], [[High and Locust Streets Historic District]], [[Hopkins House (Lockport, New York)|Hopkins House]], [[House at 8 Berkley Drive]], [[Lockport Industrial District]], [[Lowertown Historic District (Lockport, New York)|Lowertown Historic District]], [[Maloney House (Lockport, New York)|Maloney House]], [[Benjamin C. Moore Mill]], [[Niagara County Courthouse and County Clerk's Office]], [[Thomas Oliver House]], [[Pound–Hitchins House]], [[Stickney House (Lockport, New York)|Stickney House]], [[Union Station (Lockport, New York)|Union Station]], [[United States Post Office (Lockport, New York)|United States Post Office]], [[Peter D. Walter House]], [[Watson House (Lockport, New York)|Watson House]], and [[White-Pound House]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2010a}}</ref><ref name="nps">{{cite web|date=2014-11-28|title=National Register of Historic Places Listings|url=https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/upload/weekly-list-2014-national-register-of-historic-places.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150322143658/http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/listings/20141128.htm|archive-date=22 March 2015|work=Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 11/17/14 through 11/21/14|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lockportjournal.com/local/local_story_280015727.html |title=BUSINESS: Delphi emerges from bankruptcy » Delphi » Lockport Union-Sun & Journal Online |access-date=2009-12-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130104014548/http://www.lockportjournal.com/local/local_story_280015727.html |archive-date=2013-01-04 }}</ref>

In 1948, the Lockport Chief of Police denied a permit for a [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] 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 to the United States Constitution|First Amendment]].

== Geography ==
[[Image:ErieCanalRRBridge04 1A.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|The current double lift Lockport Lock is left in the distance with the northern Flight of Five to its right. St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church is in the background. The [[Falls Road Railroad]] runs above.]]
[[Image:Flight of five at Lockport.JPG|thumb|upright=1.1|Original northern five step lock structure crossing the Niagara Escarpment at Lockport now without gates and used as a cascade for excess water. Double {{convert|24+1/2|ft|m|adj=mid|-high}}, {{convert|40|ft|m|adj=mid|-wide}} modern locks are to the left which replaced the original southern Flight of Five lock structure.]]
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of 8.6&nbsp;square miles (22.4&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), of which 8.5&nbsp;square miles (22.1&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) is land and 0.1&nbsp;square miles (0.3&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) (1.39%) is water. The [[Erie Canal]] 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 [[New York State Route 78|NY Route 78]] (Transit Road), [[New York State Route 31|NY Route 31]], [[New York State Route 77|NY Route 77]] and [[New York State Route 93|NY Route 93]]. It is 17 miles north of [[Interstate 90 in New York|Interstate 90]] via [[New York State Route 78|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]].

===Climate===
{{Weather box
| collapsed    =  <!-- Any entry in this line will make the template initially collapsed. Leave blank or remove this line for uncollapsed. -->
| metric first = no
| single line  =  yes <!-- Any entry in this line will display metric and imperial units in the same cell. Leave blank or remove this line for separate table rows. -->
| location     =  Lockport, New York (1991-2020 normals)<!-- Mandatory field, location the climate data was taken, usually an airport. -->
<!-- Average high temperatures -->
| Jan high F  =32.7
| Feb high F  =35.0
| Mar high F  =44.2
| Apr high F  =55.9
| May high F  =69.4
| Jun high F =78.1
| Jul high F =82.3
| Aug high F  =80.0
| Sep high F  =73.8
| Oct high F  =60.9
| Nov high F  =48.8
| Dec high F  =38.3
| year high F =58.3
<!-- Mean daily temperature -->
| Jan mean F  =25.4
| Feb mean F  =27.1
| Mar mean F  =34.9
| Apr mean F  =45.8
| May mean F  =58.5
| Jun mean F  =67.7
| Jul mean F  =71.8
| Aug mean F  =70.4
| Sep mean F  =63.8
| Oct mean F  =51.7
| Nov mean F  =41.2
| Dec mean F  =31.1
| year mean F =49.1
<!-- Average low temperatures -->
| Jan low F =18.1
| Feb low F  =19.2
| Mar low F  =25.5
| Apr low F  =35.7
| May low F  =47.6
| Jun low F =57.2
| Jul low F =61.3
| Aug low F  =60.8
| Sep low F  =53.7
| Oct low F  =42.6
| Nov low F  =33.7
| Dec low F  =23.8
| year low F =39.9
| rain colour  =  green <!-- Enter "green" for green rainfall colours, "none" for no colours, remove this line for blue colouring. -->
| Jan rain inch  =2.94
| Feb rain inch =2.25
| Mar rain inch  =2.65
| Apr rain inch  =3.36
| May rain inch  =3.05
| Jun rain inch  =3.43
| Jul rain inch  =3.76
| Aug rain inch  =3.21
| Sep rain inch  =3.54
| Oct rain inch  =3.70
| Nov rain inch  =3.05
| Dec rain inch  =2.92
| year rain inch =37.86
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|source =  <ref> {{cite web
|url = http://climod2.nrcc.cornell.edu/
|title = CLIMOD 2
|publisher = NOAA Regional Climate Center
|access-date = 24 Aug 2025}} </ref>
}}

==Tourist attractions==
* The Lockport Locks and Erie Canal Cruises boat rides are offered on the Erie Canal, with one{{vague|date=August 2021}} 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 has an ice rink for the Clarence Mustangs and Lockport Express (now defunct team in the [[North American 3 Hockey League]])<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lockportexpress.com/ |title=Lockport Express |access-date=2017-03-17 |archive-date=2017-03-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315174357/http://www.lockportexpress.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> called Cornerstone Arena.<ref>{{Cite web |last=D'onofrio |first=John |date=2017-03-12 |title=A win-win for Lockport and Cornerstone Arena |url=https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/a-win-win-for-lockport-and-cornerstone-arena/article_1c737c93-f92a-5173-9d9e-d12c3aee2f26.html |access-date=2023-06-13 |website=Lockport Union-Sun & Journal |language=en}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1860= 10871
|1870= 12426
|1880= 13522
|1890= 16038
|1900= 16581
|1910= 17970
|1920= 21308
|1930= 23160
|1940= 24379
|1950= 25133
|1960= 26443
|1970= 25399
|1980= 24844
|1990= 24426
|2000= 22279
|2010= 21165
|2020= 20876
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
At the 2010 census,<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> 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 (U.S. Census)|White]], 7.2% [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.5% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.5% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.02% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.8% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 3.5% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|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,{{vague|date=August 2021}} 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]] 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]] was $19,620. About 11.7% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], 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,{{update after|2021|8|29}} Michael W. Tucker was elected mayor of the city of Lockport; he was reelected in 2007 and 2011. However, he resigned in 2014 during an investigation into his scandal. Nothing became of the scandal after multiple council members reached out to the governor to launch the investigation.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lockport Mayor Announces sudden resignation|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2014/02/21/lockport-mayor-announces-sudden.html|access-date=22 February 2014|newspaper=Business First- Buffalo|date=21 February 2014}} https://www.niagarafallsreporter.com/Stories/2014/MAY13/form.html</ref> 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.<ref>http://www.lockportny.gov/government/mayor/ Lockportny.gov. Retrieved February 26, 2018.</ref> She resigned and accepted the position as president and CEO of Eastern Niagara Hospital.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lockportny.gov/anne-mccaffrey-to-resign-as-mayor-of-lockport/|title=Anne McCaffrey to Resign as Mayor of Lockport &#124; Lockport, NY|date=July 26, 2018 }}</ref>

==Education==
[[Lockport City School District]] oversees all local public schools. The district includes all of Lockport city and most of Lockport town.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st36_ny/schooldistrict_maps/c36063_niagara/DC20SD_C36063.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Niagara County, NY|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=2023-11-05}}</ref>
* 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<ref>[http://www.desalescatholicschool.org/ DeSales Catholic School]</ref> is a local private elementary school within the regional [[Roman Catholic 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==
[[Image:LockportStainedGlass.jpg|right|thumb|[[Louis Tiffany]] [[stained glass]] window at the First Presbyterian Church]]

Some people of note who were born in Lockport are:<ref>Most biographical sources simply refer to Lockport without specifying the City or the surrounding Town; persons on this list may be associated with either the City or the Town of Lockport.</ref>
* [[Kim Alexis]], [[supermodel]]
* [[Walter Ransom Gail Baker]], former vice president of [[General Electric]], director of engineering for the [[Radio Manufacturers Association]], founder of [[NTSC]]
* [[Philip Baruth]], 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]]
* [[Bernard Buzyniski]], retired [[American Football League]] 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]], [[Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin]]
* [[M. A. B. Evans]], poet
* [[David Fluellen]], pro football player
* [[Ferrin Fraser]], radio script writer for ''[[Little Orphan Annie]]'' and ''[[Frank Buck (animal collector)|Frank Buck]]''
* [[Harold Huston George]], general officer in the United States Army Air Forces during [[World War II]]
* [[Lieutenant Colonel (United States)|Lt Col]] [[William G. Gregory]], astronaut (ret.) in the [[NASA]] [[Space Shuttle]] program
* [[Katherine Hannigan]], writer
* [[Tommy Hicks]], boxer
* [[Alice Tisdale Hobart]], novelist
* [[William Leonard Hunt]] (1838–1929), also known by the stage name the Great Farini, tightrope performances at Niagara Falls, inventor of the "[[human cannonball]]"
* [[James Jackson, Jr. (New York)|James Jackson, Jr.]], former US congressman, Mayor of Lockport
* [[Sean Kugler]], head coach for the [[UTEP Miners football]] team
* [[William F. Leonard]], Medal of Honor recipient
* [[Duane Lyman]], architect
* [[Jane Rignel]], Recipient of the [[Silver Star]]
* [[Othniel Charles Marsh]], 19th-century paleontologist, discovered and named many fossils found in the American West
* [[Timothy McVeigh]], convicted terrorist responsible for [[Oklahoma City bombing]]
* [[Stephanie Miller]], nationally syndicated radio talk show host and daughter of William E. Miller
* [[William E. Miller]], 1964 vice presidential running mate of [[Barry Goldwater]]
* [[William G. Morgan]], inventor of [[volleyball]]
* [[John Murphy (announcer)|John Murphy]], [[Buffalo Bills]] radio announcer
* [[Edwin Griswold Nourse]], economist
* [[Joyce Carol Oates]], author and professor
* [[Frank C. Penfold]], artist, teacher
* [[Cuthbert W. Pound]], former Chief Judge of the [[New York Court of Appeals]]
* [[John J. Raskob]], DuPont and General Motors executive
* [[John B. Raymond]], delegate from [[Dakota Territory]] to the [[United States House of Representatives]]
* [[Chris Sacca]], tech start-up venture capitalist, former Head of Special Initiatives at [[Google]]
* [[John Shulock]], 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 (novelist)|Robert Thurston]], science fiction writer
* [[Jack White (racing driver)|Jack White]], race car driver
* [[Charles Wood (businessman)|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]]'' and ''Smokey & the Bandit 2''
<!---♦♦♦♦ Only add a person to this list if they already have their own article on the English Wikipedia ♦♦♦♦---> <!---♦♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order by LAST NAME ♦♦♦♦--->

[[Image:LockportLock1007.JPG|thumb|right|One of the new steel locks – 24.5-foot (7.5m) lift]]
Some people of note who have resided in Lockport are:
* [[Maltbie Davenport Babcock]], clergyman
* [[John J. Bagley]], former governor of Michigan
* [[Raphael Beck (artist)|Raphael Beck]] (1848–1947), artist, sculptor
* [[John Beilein]], former collegiate and professional basketball coach
* [[John Black (Wisconsin politician)|John Black]], former mayor of [[Milwaukee, Wisconsin|Milwaukee]]
* [[William W. Campbell (New York state senator)|William W. Campbell]], former New York state senator
* [[Lot Clark]], 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]], former New York state senator
* [[Thomas T. Flagler]], former US congressman
* [[David Gibson (Canadian politician)|David Gibson]], Canadian politician
* [[Geoffrey Giuliano]], author, actor and syndicated radio host{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}
* [[William G. Gregory]], NASA astronaut
* [[Herbert C. Harrison]], sometimes credited with the invention of the modern honeycomb automobile [[radiator]] and founder of Harrison Radiator, now a part of General Motors' components division
* [[William Hawley (general)|William Hawley]], [[Union Army]] 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<ref name=cave>{{cite web |url= http://lockportcave.com/birdsill-holly/ |title= Birdsill Holly 1820-1894 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=Holly Manufacturing Company History |publisher=Lockport Cave & Underground Boat Ride |access-date= December 30, 2015 }}</ref>
* [[Mark Hopkins, Jr.]], 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]], former governor of New York
* [[Michael Huskey]], [[Medal of Honor]] recipient
* [[Tom Jolls]], TV weatherman
* [[William R. Kenan, Jr.]], businessman
* [[Benajah Mallory]], [[Upper Canada]] political figure
* [[William E. Miller]], American prosecutor at [[Nuremberg Trials|Nuremberg War-Crimes trials]]; member of [[United States House of Representatives]] 1951–1965; [[Republican National Committee]] Chairman 1961–1964; [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] Vice President nominee on 1964 [[Barry Goldwater|Goldwater]]-Miller ticket; only [[Catholic Church#Liturgy|practicing Catholic]] to be nominated for national office by the party until [[Paul Ryan]] in 2012; later starred in [[American Express]] "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{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}
* [[Jeremy O'Day]], retired CFL player
* [[Chauncey Olcott]], 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<ref>[http://www.lockport-ny.com/History/stories2.htm Chauncey Olcott<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
* [[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 (New York)|Pentecostal Collegiate Institute]] (now [[Eastern Nazarene College]])
* [[Thomas Stinson]], [[Hamilton, Ontario]], businessman
* The [[Seven Sutherland Sisters]], long-haired singing group traveling with [[Barnum and Bailey]]'s "Greatest Show on Earth"
* [[Burt Van Horn]], former US congressman
* [[Thomas Wall (Wisconsin politician)|Thomas Wall]], Wisconsin businessman and state legislator
* [[Samuel Works]], former New York state senator

==Notable businesses==
* [[Yahoo]] 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]] based in New Haven, Connecticut, is one of the largest regional banks in the country.
* General Motors,<ref>[https://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/company_info/facilities/component-fac/lockport.html General Motors]</ref> 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{{peacock term|date=August 2021}} 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<ref>[https://lockportpalacetheatre.org/ Palace Theatre]</ref> 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.”<ref>{{Cite web|title=About {{!}} Historic Palace Theatre {{!}} Located in the Heart of Lockport, NY|url=https://lockportpalacetheatre.org/about/|access-date=2021-06-14|website=Lockport Palace Theater|language=en-US}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Palace Theatre in Lockport, NY - Cinema Treasures|url=http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/6615|access-date=2021-06-14|website=cinematreasures.org}}</ref> 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."<ref name=":0" /> The theatre underwent restorations in 1973, and it reopened in 1974.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Palace Theatre History|url=https://lockportpalacetheatre.org/about/palace-theatre-history/|access-date=2021-06-14|website=Lockport Palace Theater|language=en-US}}</ref> By 1999 profits started to dwindle as other businesses began to leave Lockport's downtown area and patrons became less frequent.<ref name=":0" /> Later that same year, "Curtain Up Productions"<ref name=":1" /> 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."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Historic Palace Theatre reopens in downtown Lockport|url=https://www.wnypapers.com/news/article/current/2021/04/30/146423/historic-palace-theatre-reopens-in-downtown-lockport|access-date=2021-06-14|website=Niagara Frontier Publications}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Erie Canal]], with a description of the canal lock structures located here
* [[Niagara Escarpment]], an extensive and abrupt change in elevation which the Niagara river crosses, forming [[Niagara Falls]]
* [[Lift bridge]], illustrating bridges crossing the canal here
* [[Lockport Cave]]
* [[Lockport Fire Department]]

==References==
* Peca, Paulette (2005), ''Lockport'', Arcadia Publishing, {{ISBN|0-7385-1222-2}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite magazine | last=Rodriguez | first=Ismael Jr. |date=September 2020 |title=The Terrifying Intimacy of Hand-to-Hand Infantry Combat |magazine=VFW Magazine |volume=108 |number=1 |location=Kansas City, Mo. |publisher=[[Veterans of Foreign Wars|Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States]] |page=60 |issn=0161-8598 |quote=VFW Post 2535 members hosted a meet-and-greet event featuring Medal of Honor recipient and New York native David Bellavia. The MOH recipient thrilled attendees with his unit's exploits during the Iraq War's Battle of Fallujah.}}

==External links==
* {{official website}}
* {{HAER |survey=NY-61 |id=ny1209 |title=New York State Barge Canal, Lockport Locks, Richmond Avenue, Lockport, Niagara County, NY |photos=48 |dwgs=15 |data=118 |cap=8}}

{{Niagara County, New York}}
{{Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area}}
{{Great Lakes Megalopolis}}
{{New York county seats}}
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[[Category:Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area]]
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