The original town of Lockport was platted on November 23, 1836, by Nathaniel Donham. It was known as Lockport due to its importance during the building of the Wabash and Erie Canal from 1847–1850. The canal town became a significant trading point along the waterway. Though the canal closed in 1873, the building of several different railroads kept the community as a place for trade. The town originally had various mills, sawmills and tanneries, but all were burned at different times. It was also notable in the grain market.
Passages that mention Riley, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Portrait and biographical album of Washington, Clay and Riley counties, Kansas, containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent ... citizens ... together with portraits and biographies of all the governors of the state, and of the pr1890 · page 528Read the page →
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engaged in agricultural pursuits in that part of the country until December, 1881. In the meantime he had invested some of his money in 160 acres of railroad land near Riley Centre, Kan., and in the month mentioned he came to this State to settle here, buying a home in Riley Centre village. He farmed his land one year, and in 1883 sold it and established himself in the furniture business in
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Portrait and biographical album of Washington, Clay and Riley counties, Kansas, containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent ... citizens ... together with portraits and biographies of all the governors of the state, and of the pr1890 · page 1172Read the page →
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In 1871 Mr. Banister returned to Riley County, and again took up the business of farming, which he continued to follow until 1873, when he left the plow and began work on the Union Pacific Railroad as a section hand. He was employed in that capacity for the space of six months, when he was given charge of the section, and served the company in that position until 1882, in which year he re-
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tion of Township 10 north, Range 8 west, in Vigo county, which lies north and east of the Wabash and Erie canal, and has heretofore constituted a part of the civil township of Pierson, be divided from the same and attached to the civil township of Riley.” This order has never been changed so far as the records show. The old canal line cuts through Sections 1 and 2 diagonally and transfers nearly 250 acres. There is a farm improvement on it, and the man, probably, has been paying taxes for years, in the wrong
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Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2016