According to his own accounts, Raskob enjoyed a comfortable and enjoyable childhood in Lockport, at that time a thriving city along the Erie Canal, an important transit-point for Great Lakes shipping. Raskob's studies at Lockport's parochial and public schools were enlivened by participation in local theater, explorations of the local countryside and vineyards, and regular part-time work as a newspaper-delivery boy and in seasonal agriculture. Lockport had a well-established Catholic population, and Raskob took part in many of the religious and social activities of his coreligionists, staying connected for many years with classmates and fellow-parishioners.

Raskob recollects Lockport in a letter to Frank Chapman (file 321) (view)

Recollection of Lockport (file 1580) (view)