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Why was the town of Lockport given its name?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Map showing the route of the Erie Canal across New York state, running from Buffalo on Lake Erie in the west through cities including Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, and Albany, and ending at the Hudson River near Troy and Cohoes. The map also highlights nearby lakes, connecting canals, and major waterways in the region.
Erie Canal

The town of Lockport was named for the series of locks constructed there to navigate the Erie Canal over the Niagara Escarpment.

To overcome the 23-metre (75-foot) rock ridge of the escarpment, canal engineer Nathan B. Roberts designed a staircase-like series of ten locksā€”five levels with two locks side-by-side. This engineering feat was followed by a 5-km (3-mile) long cut blasted into the rocky plateau. Because the town grew at the site of these essential locks, it was appropriately named Lockport.12