Lockport Township High School - Lock Yearbook (Lockport, IL)

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One hundred and thirty-six years ago the future of our town was only an insecure promise and the present a challenge. To transform the forest and the prairie into farms and to build a civilization to replace the wilderness took blood, sweat, and tears. In October 7830, Armstead Runyon and his family came into the little valley. The next few years were to see a few more families come and settle in Runyontown. But with the outbreak of the Black Hawk War in 7832, all the families that had settled left their scarcely finished home- steads to take refuge in Fort Dearborn. When the war ended, the men returned and built a block house for the protection of their families. Soon the women and children returned and the settlement of Runyontown commenced again. Work began on the Illinois and Michigan Canal in 7836. As engineers came to the area, they literally moved the townffrom the northern end of the village to the location we know as Lockport, a name which replaced that of Runyontown when the first series of locks was built here. The first of several early churches in Lockport was the First Congregational Church, founded October 37, 7838, by the Rev. Isaac Foster. Shortly thereafter St. Dennis, the Methodist, and the Episcopal Churches were established. The pioneers were interested in providing educational facilities as well as places of worship. Therefore, in 7839, they built the first village school at the corner of Eighth and Hamilton Streets, but not until 7857 was a permanent building, housing both elementary and high school classes, erected in the square block bounded by Hamilton, Washing- ton, Eighth, and Ninth Streets. It remained in use until destroyed by the fire of 7895. It was then replaced by the present Central School building which served grades one through twelve until the erecting of L. T.H.S, in 7909. With the completion of the I dr M Canal, Lockport began to prosper, leaving many of the dangers and hard- ships of earlier years far behind. However, in 7849 the young village su-Hered a major catastrophe in the form of a cholera epidemic which took many lives. Undaunted, Lockport continued to progress and was incorporated as a village some twenty-three years after the arrival of the first white settlers. In the great fire of 7895, the entire business district was destroyed but within four years, many stone and brick buildings were built, some of which still house the business establishments of today. Work on the Chicago Sanitary Canal, a channel almost parallel to the I dr M Canal, was begun in 7900. Thirty- three years later the Lockport Lock, which is the first of a series on the canal, was completed after many setbacks. Today Lockport is no longer a little wooded valley but a rapidly growing community consisting of home, school, and church with many old traditions, yetfull of spirited new ideas looking forward to growth in the future. OUR TOW

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l Home life plays a big part in our town. It isn'tjust the housesg it's the wonderful families in them that make these dwellings homes. The families are en- thusiastic especially where their children are con- cerned. The Lockport families have spirit and take pride in our town. There is both cooperation and a close bond between neighbors. When a tornado struck on August 26, the people of Lockport helped each other above and beyond the call of duty. This unity has transformed the houses of Lockport into homes, homes where family devotion and brotherly love tackle and overcome any dilemma that pre- sents itself. .- . 1 ,I V-. A 23. 3 T One of the most indestructable forces is the family, The Moulthrop family, Reverend George Moulthrop, his wife Shirley, and their three children, Dave, julie, and Peter set a fine example for the citizens of Hour town. On August 26,l965, a tornado completely stripped the roof from the home of Leroy and Marie Lawrence, members of the East and Central faculties.