The Town of Lockport will continues its bicentennial celebration with a special event prior to the town board’s Wednesday meeting.
At 6 p.m., the town board will perform a reenactment of the first town meeting that took place in April of 1824. The agenda for that initial meeting was formation of the town government, including set-up of the school district, designating a justice of the peace and electing town officials.
According to town board member Paul Siejak, there was, initially, a big obstacle to pulling off the reenactment: All town records dated 1824 to 1881 were destroyed in the Hodge Opera House fire in 1881. Hodge Opera House was located where the Bewley Building stands today.
Luckily, Town Historian Jean Linn, a college librarian, was able to find the pertinent information about the first town meeting in Niagara County records.
“The records were held in Albany,” she said.
The minutes that Linn unearthed will be read by the members of the current Town Board. Linn said members of the Town of Lockport Historical Society will also be at the reenactment, possibly dressed as school teachers from the period, and they’ll have historical society membership forms on hand for anyone who’s interested in joining.
Siejak said the reenactment should be “fun filled” and the reenactors will be dressed in Regency era attire. He’s hoping it’s an “educational tool” that helps residents learn about their town.
Board member Tom Keough will portray Morris Tucker, the first town clerk, and Siejak will portray Eli Bruce, “the Collector” whose post today is known as treasurer or tax collector.
The reenactors’ costumes were created by Betsy Ross Costumes, which has shop space at Harrison Place, Building 2.