A rich photographic history is preserved at the Canton Historical Society. With well over 4,000 catalogued images, each moment in time helps us see the fabric of the people and places of Canton. Photos 1 & 2: The Canton Catholic Club occupied the building that was once the Massapoag House. The original building was constructed in […]
The entire village of South Canton gathered to see the militia in their stunning uniforms at the house of the general. On that Friday in October 1823, the trees dripped with red and gold and an autumn sun cast long shadows across Washington Street. The force was made up of many of the sons of […]
Today we get our news from so many sources. In a world of almost instant access to information, we can turn to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, all of which closely follow conventional news outlets. News is so “now” that within moments of a recent police chase from Brockton to Canton, which ended at the infamous […]
Hiking across the marsh, Elwyn Capen had endured several days of torrential spring downpours, yet he was in his glory. Soaked to his skin, a heavy wool coat slowed his progress as he approached the nest just at the edge of Ponkapoag Pond. High up in the tree was the large nest of a great […]
In a meadow, he stepped lightly, avoiding the obvious signs of bovine leavings. In the heat of the late afternoon, the sun was declining and casting long shadows over the pasture. And as he cleared the thicket, he saw the elegance and grace of the herd at rest. He wanted to capture them in this […]
The idea behind saving the buildings at the Paul Revere and Sons property began back in 2008 when Attorney Paul Schneiders, representing the Napleton Company, stood before the Canton Historical Commission and sought a demolition request for the historic structures. It was unthinkable that such nationally significant mill buildings with a lineage that connected directly […]
As the mail arrived at the town clerk’s office, one letter stood apart from the rest. The dispatch was postmarked from a small Bavarian village. And as Gail McHugo slit open the envelope, a simple typed note began a journey into Canton’s history that few know about today. “More than 100 years ago,” the letter […]
This column began in 2011, and since it started I have been able to tell well over 100 stories tied to the unique history and character of Canton. It has not really been all that hard discovering the things that make us unique. When you are curious, and you talk to people who have been […]
As time erases more and more of our earliest history, it becomes even more incumbent upon us to preserve our place names that respect the original people who lived here. It seems so ironic that in this particular place in our history today, we are wary of immigrants, outsiders, and refugees, and yet hardly any […]
On a beautiful day in May in 1930, the ladies gathered at the home of Mrs. Dean S. Luce. There were dainty tea sandwiches on beautiful china plates. The ladies were dressed in their finest, with short daytime gloves and calf length dresses — accented by their Hollywood-inspired purses. Each of the women had taken […]
