George Gaylord

George Gaylord ran a successful business in Lockport, where Hiram Norton was even more prosperous after spending decades capitalizing on the canal's potential, negotiating exclusive rights to water power, and expanding his milling operations. Abraham Lincoln warehoused goods in part of the building and ran a general store in the three-story section built in 1859, selling flour, salt, and eggs as well as luxury goods such as fancy hats, ribbons, and candy. In 1878, William Schuler moved his dry goods store and grain business from State Street to the Public Landing, where the canal and the railroad operated on each side of the building. The 1870s and 1880s were a profitable time on the I&M Canal.

Lockport, Illinois · United States