Lockport’s National Register Historic District Lockport was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 12, 1975.

P A S SP O R T T O L O C K P O R T City of Historic Pride

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Bold striped area denotes I&M Canal.

Map courtesy of Old Canal Days

This Passport tour of Lockport extends beyond the designated historic district to include the I&M Canal trail and Lock #1. The Sanitary & Ship Canal and the Illinois Waterway are also included because of their importance to the area. A Self-guided Walking Tour, a brochure featuring the architecture of the historic district, is available at historic sites and from Main Street Lockport, Inc. For more information, please call (815) 834-0700.

Your Guide to Historic Places and Friendly Faces

A Short Walk Through Time and Place Past and Present in Lockport are Virtually Inseparable Walk just a few blocks through the historic district and it becomes clear that the past and present in Lockport are virtually inseparable. What was old has been made new again. Each site featured in this Passport is a part of the legacy of our 19th century canal town. Many sites retain their original appearance and function; others have been adapted for new uses. In addition to the downtown business district, there are four museum sites and a recreational trail along the I&M Canal–the superhighway that connected Lake Michigan with the Illinois River. The canal helped nurture a new nation by fostering travel, trade and settlement throughout the 1800s. The canal and our town continue to make an impression locally, regionally and nationally. Visitors from all over the U.S. and the world visit here. Passport to Lockport invites students, residents and visitors to celebrate our heritage with a short walk through time and place in our town. SCHOOL TOURS AND GROUP RESERVATIONS To tour the I&M Canal Museum, contact Rose Bucciferro, Executive Director, at (815) 838-5080 or write to: Will County Historical Society, 803 South State Street, Lockport, IL 60441. WCHS is a 501 (c) 3 not-forprofit membership organization and is not supported by public funds. ______________ Lockport Area Genealogical & Historical Society For information on the 175th Anniversary Celebration in 2005 and for membership and program information, contact Bonnie Packley at (815) 838-9388 or write to LAGHS c/o Des Plaines Valley Public Library, 121 E. 8th Street, Lockport, IL 60441. Web site courtesy of the Des Plaines Valley Public Library at www.dpvlib.org ______________ © 2004 Will County Historical Society Rose Bucciferro, Executive Director Lockport Area Genealogical & Historical Society Dr. Reno G. Caneva, President Preserving Our Past is Our ‘Present’ to the Future ________________ Passport to Lockport prepared by Char Giardina, Rose Bucciferro and Judith Richardson. Special thanks to John Lamb. Lesson plan prepared by Audrey Manley, curriculum consultant.

ILLINOIS AND MICHIGAN CANAL GAYLORD DONNELLEY CANAL TRAIL LOCK #1, DIVISION & CANAL STREETS A Link to the Historic District

NEW: Lock #1 is 8 blocks from the Pioneer Settlement. For trail information, call the Twp. Park District at (815) 838-1183. THEN: Lock #1 is the first of the originally planned 15 numbered locks on the canal from Chicago to LaSalle-Peru. The canal connected Lake Michigan with the Photo by Jamie Kremm, LTHS, 2003. Illinois River in 1848. The I&M closed when DEEP WATERWAY, LOCKPORT the Illinois Waterway opened in 1933. FLASHBACK: DEEP WATERWAY The Sanitary & Ship CanalSfrom Chicago to LockportSends at the power house and the locks built in 1907 and in 1933. For info on history and public access, call the Will County Historical Society at: (815) 838-5080. Courtesy of Lewis U. Canal & Regional History Special Collection 13

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Welcome Students, Residents and Visitors This guide is an introduction to the town and its people—past and present. There are many ways to use the Passport and to commemorate your visit. Ask someone at the site to autograph your booklet or use a stamp imprint. O

You can place your own photographs, sketches and comments on pages titled My Page. O

A teacher’s LESSON PLAN is available. ~ Passport to Lockport commemorates the th 175 Anniversary of the first permanent settlement in the area in October 1830 and documents your personal experience in Lockport, City of Historic Pride. ~

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Compliments of Lockport Area Genealogical & Historical Society and the Will County Historical Society 12

CENTRAL SQUARE

NORTON BUILDING Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery

201 W. 10th Street South Public Landing Parking Lot entrance at 10th St. or at 9th St./west approach only. (815) 838-7400 Tues. 10-5; Sun. Noon -5 NOW: Exhibits featuring Photo by Jeff Williamson, Kelvin Grove Jr.H. Illinois artists change throughout the year. Call about school programs, public programs, events and volunteer opportunities. THEN: Hiram Norton built a grain warehouse and store for canal boat supplies (18481852). Norton operated the hydraulic basin where grain and lumber were processed. See the sign at the footbridge on the canal trail south of the Norton Building in 1869 building. FLASHBACK: Norton was one of several businessmen who moved to Lockport from the east coast and Canada on the promise that the canal would bring prosperity.

My Observations 222 E. 9th Street (between Hamilton and Washington) City of Lockport (815) 838-9500 Lockport Township (815) 838-0380 Lockport Township Park District facility (815) 838-1183 2

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GAYLORD BUILDING

GLADYS FOX MUSEUM AND COMMUNITY CENTER

200 W. 8th Street (Across the R.R. tracks on the bank of the I&M Canal)

Corner of 9th & Washington (Opposite Central Square) Lockport Township Park District

(815) 588-1100 (815) 838-1183 Photo by Sarah Costello, Kelvin Grove Junior High

Tues.-Sat. 10-6 Sun. Noon-6

NOW: There are three floors of canal-related exhibits. For information, call the Canal Corridor Association. For information on The Public Landing Restaurant, call (815) 838-6500. THEN: Bordering the I&M Canal, the appearance and use of the Gaylord Building changed over time as the canal prospered, then declined, and finally was restored. FLASHBACK– Gaylord Building Time Line 1838-1848: Canal Construction Warehouse. 1848-late 1880s: Grain elevator and general store. 1900s: Door lock manufacturing, plumbing supplies, and storage.

NOW: Exhibits change periodically. Photo by Lindsay Major, LTHS There is a permanent exhibit on Dellwood Park, a famous amusement park in the early 1900s and still a favorite place for recreation in Lockport. The building may be reserved for meetings and various functions. THEN: Built in 1839, the church was originally the Congregational Church. It is the oldest masonry church in Illinois. FLASHBACK: The church was an important part of the community. Many members worked on the I&M Canal, constructed 1836 -1848.

CENTRAL SQUARE NOW: Central Square has been home to city and township offices since 1980. The hallways are filled with photographs, some of which include students who attended school in the building. The fountain in front of the building was installed in 2003 as part of a beautification project. Gaylord Building in the late 1880s

1987-Present: Restored for public use as a canal information and history center. 10

Call for hours of operation.

THEN: The building was constructed in 1895. High school students moved to a new building in 1910, and grade school students moved to Milne Grove in 1967. Concerned citizens saved this striking limestone structure from destruction in 1980. FLASHBACK: The first limestone school house, built on this site in 1857, burned in the great Lockport fire of August 10, 1895. 3

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HISTORIC DOWNTOWN SHOPPING DISTRICT

Photo by Sarah Costello, Kelvin Grove Junior High School.

NOW: Visit the restored buildings offering business services, shopping, and good food! Mark your calendar for the Christmas Walk and Fun Fair on the first Saturday in December. Call the Chamber of Commerce at 838-3357. Also: Pioneer Christmas on the first Thursday in December, an evening program at the Wells Corner One-Room School House. Call the Will County Historical Society at 838-5080. THEN: Archer Road (now Archer Ave./Rte. 171/State St.) was built to transport materials during construction of the I&M Canal (1836-1848). FLASHBACK: The original business district had grown up along Commerce Street next to the public landing on the bank of the canal. When two railroad lines began operating next to the street, the area became too noisy, dirty and dangerous to serve as a business district.

Photo by Lindsey Major, LTHS

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Old Baptist Church (Corner of 10th & Hamilton) The structure was originally the Baptist Church, constructed in the 1850s. The Lockport Woman’s Club started the first library in Lockport in this building in 1921. Ice cream parlors have occupied the building for the last several years. 9

My Page ILLINOIS & MICHIGAN CANAL MUSEUM

803 S. State Street (815) 838-5080 Daily 1-4:30 Closed Mondays in Jan., Feb., Mar. Call for holiday schedules. NOW: The Will County Historical Society’s award-winning museum is the original office and home of the canal commissioners. Costumed docents guide visitors through the rooms and share the story of the lives and times of the construction and operation of the I&M Canal and county history. Reservations are taken for group tours. A County Landmark Patch program is available. THEN: Built in 1837 the Canal Commissioners Office was the most important building in Illinois, except for the State Capitol Building in Springfield. From this location Chief Engineer William Gooding oversaw the construction and operation of the I&M Canal.

PIONEER SETTLEMENT

FLASHBACK: 15 B uildings of the 19 th Century Log Cabin/Train Depot 1-Room Scho ol Ho use and more Craft festival days in Apr., Jun. and Oct. Holiday program in Dec. 8

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A View from the 9 th Street Bridge

Photo by John Voss