by Christine Lorraine Morgan, August 15, 2025

Part of southwestern Erie County’s past holds an important chapter about the town of Lockport, which earned its name because 28 locks of the Erie Canal Extension were placed there within a two-mile distance. “These had an average lift of six-and-one-half feet, and were used to overcome the rise from the lake shore plain to the valley of Conneaut Creek,” according to “History of Erie County PA.”

This once-bustling town began in about 1840 when the canal was being built, located about four miles from Albion and 4.5 miles from Girard. Lockport’s post office was named “Platea,” which is also the name of an ancient city in Greece. Although Lockport exists no more, Platea is still around on Route 18 just north of Wellsburg and Albion.

The Platea Fire Co. building in Erie County, PA

Early local resident Silas Pratt is credited for kicking off the town because he owned the land there, plus he held the contract for constructing the canal locks. “Foreseeing that a town must grow up along the locks, he started a store and built a church, hotel and several houses. Mr. Pratt failed in 1848 or 1849, and was prevented from fully carrying out his projects,” as explained in “History of Erie County , PA” from 1884.

Consisting of around 1,700 acres of mostly farmland, in 1870 Lockport was incorporated as a borough, with a population of around 500, which shrunk to 345 in 1880. By 1890, there were only 240 residents still there as the economic status of the region continued to decline. The canal’s existence had prompted a great deal of commerce and innovation in that area while it was operational from 1844 to 1871.

As of the mid-1880s, “The town has a cheese factory (established in 1876), a planing mill, a sawmill and a cider mill. A tannery was started by Wm. Aldrich in 1848, and an oar factory by Mr. Rowley in 1860, both of which have gone down,” ~ “History of Erie County, PA” ~ 1884

Lockport is now part of Girard Township.

Veterans’ Memorial in Platea, Erie County, PA