Lakeport attracted many families and businesses to its lakefront location. Men and women found employment in the customary places of employment such as a flour mill, a saw mill, a plaster factory and a canning factory. The busy wharves brought additional trade and commerce. Taverns flourished.

The Lakeport Canning Factory canned fruit and vegetables such as apples, berries, and beans. It was a major employer and at one time had 50 women and 20 men on the payroll. During that period women received 35 cents a day and men were paid $1.00 a day.