Preserve America is a White House initiative in cooperation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation; the U.S. Departments of Defense, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, and Education; the National Endowment for the Humanities; the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities; and the President's Council on Environmental Quality.

Preserve America Community: Lockport, Illinois

Lockport (population 15,191) was platted in 1837 by the Illinois and Michigan (I&M) Canal commissioners as their headquarters. When completed in 1848, the I&M Canal stretched from Lake Michigan to the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers, thus forming a critical link in the nation’s transportation network. The community of Lockport became a hub for the transport and milling of corn, wheat, and other crops.

To a great extent, Lockport’s fortunes mirrored the rise and fall of the I&M Canal, which, by 1900, had become outdated.

For more information:

City of Lockport  www.lockport.org
Canal Corridor Association  www.canalcor.org
Heritage Corridor Convention and Visitors Bureau www.heritagecorridorcvb.com

Posted May 16, 2007

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Designated Preserve America Communities