Lockport Lower Town

For a long time, I thought it was the power plant for Flintkote. I had found a copy of an article about the Flintkote power plant converting to 60Hz power in 1964. There's a great picture of the plant showing a C&O coal hopper on the ramp up to the shed where they bottom dumped the coal. There is also a boxcar in Mill Street and the Flintkote water tower in the background. Unfortunately, the picture is only available on microfiche, so you can guess at the quality. I have not visited the US&J archives to see if negatives are still available. If anyone knows a Don Duryee, he shot the picture for the paper back in June 1964.

The brief article states...
"Flintkote TO STAY - Recent good news for about 130 factory and office employes of the Flintkote Co. came when the firm let contracts for a $250,000 conversion to 60-cycle power, meaning the firm will stay here. The plant, where auto sound-deadening felt is made, consists of three buildings in Lowertown including the scene above taken from Clinton Street with Mill Street at left. The Flintkote tower is at the left rear".

Well, by 1971 they were closing. A contributing factor was that they used asbestos for a lot of their products - and the EPA essentially outlawed it in 1971.

I recently found out that the power plant was originally part of United Board and Carton, which is across Mill Street from the plant, prior to Flintkote. I don't know when it changed ownership.

There exists an aerial photo of the power plant and United Board and Carton in the 1950s which shows a huge pile of coal in the "front yard" of the plant.

t-croz

What I meant about Lockport's streetcar system also being an S&T operation is that the "International Ry" switched freight cars over some of its lines to various industrial customers in the town. This cannot have been popular with many locals, as the cars would have got in the way of the trolleys if operated in the daytime. I think they may have done a lot of switching in the night, and woken people up instead!

Other nearby cities with streetcar systems which were also common-carrier freight operations were Jamestown NY and Warren PA.

Hey Guys, This past summer while repairing my Grandparents grave at Glen Ridge I found a old iron bridge just north of gooding street. The bridge is still in place.Any knowledge of this would be great. Thanks.