Lockland’s post office opened in 1858, and 48% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 86% of U.S. towns · #207 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 35 buildings. Below: 12 old photos and papers, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1870.
The Lockland post office opened in 1858, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Lockland Station (1858), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 1,299 in 18702020 census: 3,514168 years
How historic is Lockland?
A
More historic than 86% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Lockland post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Lockland’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lockland is more historic than 86% of U.S. towns, #207 of 993 in Ohio. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Lockland’s overall grade.
Ohio towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Ohio town has 2.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Lockland’s 100 sits above most of its state (93% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 35 historic buildings outnumber those of 83% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±9.7 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Lockland’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The birth of the town, and its name, are related to the first set of lock gates on the Miami and Erie Canal north of Cincinnati. The canal served as a major transportation route linking commerce from as far as New Orleans to New York City. Industry was attracted to the western Ohio area by the idea of connecting Lake Erie to the Ohio River.
Lockland provided an abundance of water power with its 15-foot (4.6 m) difference in water levels, allowing for a water-powered gristmill. A large reservoir pond allowed boats to dock for repairs or layover.
Passages that mention Lockland, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Hamilton County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches1881 · page 382Read the page →
Read the text
WYOMING is west of Lockland, on the other side of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton railroad. It was surveyed in the fall of 1869, by Isaac Riddle, for the Lockland & Wyoming Homestead association; was incorporated for special purposes December 7, 1870, and for general purposes March 25, 1874. Its mayor, the latter year, was Mr. W. B.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio1894 · page 616Read the page →
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Mr. Gorman was solicitor for the village of Reading in 1886-88, resigning in the latter year; was re-elected in 1890, and is now serving in that capacity for that village, and in a similar capacity for the village of St. Bernard; he also served the village of Lockland similarly for three years. He is a Democrat, and was his party’s nominee for county solicitor in 1887, when he was defeated by W. A. Davidson. He is a member of the Masonic Order and of the Knights of Pythias. Mr.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Hamilton County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches1881 · page 390Read the page →
Read the text
his business for several years, using a hickory stump as an anvil." He also, in partnership with his brother Miney, built and ran a pioneer saw-mill on the west bank of Mill creek, in what is now Conklin's addition to Lockland. The elder Voorhees laid out upon his land the adjacent village of Reading about 1798, and had it called at first Voorheestown, but allowed it afterward to be named Reading, at the suggestion of the senior Redinbo, from the latter's
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio1894 · page 444Read the page →
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The Wyoming Baptist Church was organized May 17, 1883, at the residence of James D. Randall, with twenty-one constituent members, nineteen of whom were from the Lockland church and two from Madisonville. The church was incorporated May 11, 1883, when J. H. Tangeman, John Rychen, James D. Randall, J. P. Mace, and J. M. Gould were the trustees. Revs. J. R. Henderson, W. L. Farnum, A. H. Beaver, and P. J. Ward have served as pastors. The church edifice is a frame building on Burns avenue, and was dedicated September 9, 1883.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Lockland, 1858 to 1950
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
The Lockland post office opened in 1858, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Lockland rank for history?
Lockland is more historic than 86% of U.S. towns, #207 of 993 in Ohio. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Lockland?
One place: the Mill & Dunn Historic District (listed 2019).
How old are the homes in Lockland?
48% of Lockland’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±9.7 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1944.
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).
From Wikimedia Commons (12), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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.
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