History
Continued
Located at the center of St. Lawrence County, Canton has been the county’s
seat of government since 1830. Most county services and agencies,
government operations and courts are located there. Canton’s primary
industry is education. The village boasts quality elementary, secondary
and parochial schools. It is also home to St. Lawrence University, a
private liberal arts college with a New England style campus, and the State
University College of Technology at Canton, a modern two-year state
college. The two colleges provide a veritable potpourri of cultural and
sporting events for the community. In the ice, the Canton Tech NorthStars
have skyrocketed to a record 14 National Junior College Athletic
Association Hockey championships and 20 regional titles between 1973 and
1997. The S.L.U. Skating Saints, often ranked nationally in Division I
college hockey, have also claimed E.C.A.C. titles. The influx of
collegians each year swells the Canton population from approximately 8,000
to 11,500 each year.
A Brief History of Canton
Daniel Harrington, a Connecticut native, established Canton’s first
settlement in 1800. He built a small shanty along a rapid section of the
Grasse River where the village of Canton is now located and attempted the
first improvements for consideration of a settlement. He soon abandoned
the effort and sold his holdings to Stillman Foote who is considered to be
the town’s first permanent settler and the man whom history has credited
with being the significant force in the creation of Canton. In 1801, Foote
led an expedition of a dozen Vermont pioneers to the territory. After
several days of cold and rainy weather, these men were overtaken by fever
and illness that claimed one life. Despite these obstacles, they
established Canton’s first farms and homesteads. Four years later, Canton
was officially erected as St. Lawrence County’s sixth town. The village of
Canton was incorporated on May 14, 1845.
Out of necessity, lumbering and dairy farming became Canton’s first
industries. With the founding of St. Lawrence University in 1856 and the
State University College at Canton in 1906, education at the public school
and post-secondary levels became Canton’s primary industry. Total
enrollment for the two colleges is about 3,500. Other large employers in
the Canton area include the Kraft Foods plant on Buck Street, and Corning
Glass on County Road 16. In 1992, Corning was chosen to manufacture the
8.1 meter primary mirror blank for the Gemini Project telescope to be built
on Mt. Mauna Kea, Hawaii. The large blank was shipped from Canton plant in
1997.
Among Canton’s notable native sons were statesman Silas Wright who served
as St. Lawrence County Surrogate Court Judge, New York State Senator and
served in both houses of the U.S. Congress, before he became Governor of
New York State in the 1840's. In 1844, he declined the nomination to run
for Vice President of the United States. The Silas Wright House on Main
Street in Canton was renovated and converted into a museum and information
center for St. Lawrence County history and genealogy. J. Henry Rushton,
was born in 1843 in nearby Edwards, N.Y. He developed a worldwide for the
construction of cedar canoes, especially the Indian Girl model. His works
were featured at the 1893 Chicago Columbia World's Fair. Renowned Western
artist and sculptor Frederic Remington was born in Canton. He immortalized
the western frontier in oil paintings and bronze figures that are now on
permanent display at the Remington Art Museum in Ogdensburg.
Canton also boasts the most successful junior college men’s hockey program
in the nation. During the last quarter-century, the Canton College men’s
team has captured an unprecedented 14 National Ice Hockey Championships
beginning in 1973 to its latest title in 1997 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
The NorthStars have also claimed 20 regional titles in the last 25 years.
Since 1976, the team has traveled to several European nations including
France, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Holland to play international
competition and learn of different cultures.
By Bob LaRue
