An era in the history of Lockport and Niagara County came to an end on a frigid February day in 1928. At about 1:00 p.m. on February 25th, a spark somehow ignited “inflammable” material in the basement of the Merchant’s Gargling Oil building and quickly spread to the block long Opera House next door. When it was all over the next day all that was left were ice encased ruins of its massive ornate façade.