How Exactly Did Lackawanna Become Lackawanna?

Lackawanna – what came first the company or the city? Lackawanna is in fact named after the Lackawanna Steel Company.

It was actually part of the Buffalo Creek Reservation. When the town of Seneca was formed, eventually becoming West Seneca, present day Lackawanna was known as West Seneca or Limestone Hill.

In 1902, Lackawanna Steel relocated to the area. By 1909 the residents VOTED to split from West Seneca and become Lackawanna.

Lackawanna, of course, was later acquired by Bethlehem Steel, which at its peak was responsible for 20,000 jobs in the area. The steel plant was a community in and upon itself. The plant closed in 1983, but its impact on WNY is still felt today.