The village of Lockeport (shortened to “Locke” in 1920) began with a few wood boarding houses, a saloon, gambling houses and houses of ill repute that supported a rail yard, shipping wharf/fruit packing shed and canneries that employed and housed hundreds of immigrants, mostly from Spain, Portugal, Russia, China, Italy and several other countries from all around the world. The earliest known newspaper reference to Lockeport, California is found in “San Francisco Call” newspaper, dated September 11, 1885. The original Lockeport two-story wood buildings were built for approximately $800 each by lead carpenter named Cleveland Hill. The lack of foundations beneath Locke’s Main Street two-story wood buildings has caused many to lean over the past century and has dramatically warped their sides and floors, which has added to the town’s rustic charm, enticing modern photographers, artists and tourists. Many Chinese immigrants during the early 20th century lived in Locke and ran the gambling halls and opium dens. Caucasian men were said to have run the houses of ill repute. Locke is located in the primarily agricultural region south of Sacramento, California, near State Route 160. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and further was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1990 due to its unique example of a historic Chinese American rural community.