True Tales: Canton Historical Society

A modern view of the Canton Historical Society headquarters at 100 years old (Photo by George T. Comeau)

Consider joining me for a hotdog, lemonade and a Hoodsie ice cream this weekend. At the same time some of the stories I have been sharing will come to life for you and your family. Let me explain what I have in mind.

My association with the Canton Historical Society began when I was 12 years old while working on a school project that featured Paul Revere and his life in Canton. In those days the building was quite private and the members were fairly careful about allowing people into the organization. Quite frankly, the membership was largely old-family “Yankee stock,” that is to say, very upright (not uptight) citizens who guarded Canton’s history closely.

Its president, Edward Bolster, ran the society, and was known as “BoBo” to his friends — and just about everyone else. Alongside Ed were giants in local history, people like Gert Papanti, Dan Keleher, Edward Lynch, Eugene Williams, and so many others whose stories illuminated my early adolescence and made me appreciate the many ways that Canton is such a special place. As time moved on, folks like Jim Roache, Chris Brindley, Patricia Johnson and Jim Fitzpatrick would continue the tradition.

The tales that were told inside the Historical Society were bold. They were stories of wars, of triumph and death. Tenderhearted stories of love found and lost. The imagery continues to burn after all these years, and these are the cornerstones for the stories I tell today. At a recent gathering at Selectman John Connolly’s house, I ran into a neighbor and we began talking about the power of stories, particularly when tied to our local history. It is the “story” that people remember, and we are wired to share our history this way ever since pre-historic man gathered around the campfire.

So, in Canton, where is our modern-day campfire? I think that, in fact, it is all around us. When we shop at Shaw’s and we run into a neighbor, we share stories. When we pick up our kids at the Luce School, we connect and share more stories. And when we tell our children about our family history, we do it through storytelling. Is it hard to imagine that our Canton Historical Society is our collective story vault for the long and proud history of our town?

It began in 1871 when the organization grew out of the Gibbon Club membership. The Gibbon Club was composed of men who gathered to read ancient history. Not to be confined to the classics, these men began to see that much of our colonial and post colonial local history would soon be lost as a generation of men and women passed away. The early mission was ambitious and far-reaching. Projects were proposed and these men began transcribing ancient records, copying gravestones, securing documents, generating lists of historic sites, and most importantly finding ways to preserve our history.

The first president of the society was Daniel Thomas Vose Huntoon, who was elected in 1871. Frederick Endicott was named the first secretary. These men, along with dozens of others, would begin the arduous work of collecting moldy volumes, torn scraps of paper, and virtually anything that was part of our historical record. Joined by illustrious family names like Draper, Sumner, Morse, Kinsley, Wattles, Chapman, Bird, Webster, and so many others assured success in this early venture. This was a private endeavor, and no public money has been used to support the building or the collections. Private donations heat the building, maintain the collection and support the archives. Most of the original benefactors are gone, but even today the Draper family continues to guide and support the Historical Society with financial support and membership. Truly a local gem, the Garden Club donates beautiful plantings for the site, making it a colorful showpiece in Canton Corner.

In the early days a popular tradition of “Fast Day Walks” was initiated, and dozens of citizens would gather each year to literally walk to historic sites and share the stories associated with these sites among the generations gathered. The tradition of Fast Day had its origins in the days of prayer as proclaimed by the Royal Governors of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Often held before the spring, these days meant church attendance, fasting, and abstinence from secular activities. This tradition dated to the 1670s and continued until it was abolished here in Massachusetts in 1894, when it was replaced by Patriots Day. The Historical Society continued the tradition of a Fast Day Walk, and a great many people attended these glorious tramps through the town.

Canton Historical Society members on the Annual Fast Day Walk in 1898. Photo by J. Danforth Dunbar. (Canton Historical Society)

By 1893 the Canton Historical Society received a charter from the commonwealth of Massachusetts. This legal recognition would begin an 18-year plan to build a place to store and make safe the material collected as part of the society’s work. In 1909, George Frederick Sumner deeded the land on Washington Street where he had acquired the Everett House. On this site was an old tavern, known as the Everett Tavern. As early as 1815 the building was claimed as a public house, and lavish dinners were held there regularly. By 1910 the building was in tough shape after being used for several years as an old knitting factory. By 1911, after raising $5,000 through a public offering, the society building was opened. It is said that the interior main part of the building was once an old schoolhouse that had been salvaged from the intersection of Washington and Randolph streets, and the two wings were added along with a fireproof vault. However it was constructed, it has certainly withstood the test of time. Celebrating 100 years, the building always needs more members to help the society move forward well into the next century.

Today, the Canton Historical Society is a vital part of the community. Under the leadership of Wally and Marie Gibbs since 2006, the building has enjoyed a renaissance of interest. This column is a product of a new and open society that revels in sharing our history with the town. The preservation of artifacts is in full swing. Whether it is a precious quilt dating to the early 1700s or an antique portrait, the collections are being preserved using modern techniques. Open at least once a month, and sometimes more frequently, the building is available for genealogy and historical research.

The Everett Tavern, built in 1790, this building stood on the site of the present-day Canton Historical Society on Washington Street. Photo circa 1880s. (Canton Historical Society)

Recently, 90 children walked up in shifts from the Kennedy School and toured the building under the capable storytelling efforts of our modern members. Jim Fitzpatrick, Barbara Stanwood, Ann Galvin, Paul Mitcheroney, Stephen Hagan and Wally Gibbs all took a corner of the building and held forth to help tomorrow’s scholars learn about their town. The children left with stories of valiant Civil War battles, Revolutionary heroes, and an understanding of the Native Americans who called Canton home before it was called Canton.

So, as you read this, ask yourself whether you have visited the Historical Society. Have you shared our local history with your family, and why is this place so important to our local and national history? This weekend, on July 3, as we celebrate our country’s independence, will you take some time and join us at the society headquarters on Washington Street?

Wally Gibbs, the current president, will have the building open to the public from noon to 4 p.m. I, along with other members, will be happy to serve you hotdogs, ice-cold Pepsi, and a tasty Hoodsie. Make this a new tradition. Stop by and walk through the building, see the exhibits, hear a story or two, and relax on the front lawn with an all-American picnic. What could be more hometown than a small dose of local history? A modest donation is expected, or simply become a member and lunch is on us.

On July 3 from 12-4 p.m., the Canton Historical Society will host a lawn party at 1400 Washington Street. Parking is available on Historical Way. Free admission to the building, and a donation for food is appreciated. Membership applications will be available and the gift shop will be open.

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