Known locally as Limestone Hill and later called the Steel Plant
District, Lackawanna, New York, was formed from the westernmost part of
the town of West Seneca in 1909. The new city derived its name from the
Lackawanna Steel Company that had moved from Scranton, Pennsylvania, at
the beginning of the 20th century. An industrial future would burn
brightly for several decades, and charitable institutions begun by the
Roman Catholic Church prospered under the guidance of a humble man known
as the Padre of the Poor, Rev. Nelson H. Baker. His work outlasted the
great steel-making plant, but both charity and industry would make the
Steel City known worldwide. The term melting pot characterized
Lackawanna, for its steel industry lured a tremendous workforce composed
of various nationalities, ethnic groups, races, and creeds, all striving
for the American Dream.