Click here for very early 1800s Canton news clippings:

      

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"Images of America - Canton"....available at SLU Book Store...

Published by Arcadia - By Linda Casserly, Julie Sherman Grayson & Judith Liscum

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Jackman's Hotel 1858 -  Stephen P Jackman Proprietor

Etching from 1858 Map from Actual Surveys by AE Rogerson CE - Published by JB Shields - Minor St, Philadelphia

According the the Canton 1860 Census, SP Jackman was 31 yrs old, born in NY.  His wife was either Rouetta or Rosetta: children were Julia, Fanny, Isa.  Living with them was Frank Smith, the bartender!

In 1850 census John Shull is an Innkeeper of a large hotel that might be this one.

According to Canton Village History from Ray's Place, http://www.history.rays-place.com/ny/canton-2-ny.htm  

 The American Hotel was originally built in 1825 by Sartwell Prentice, and was known as the Prentice Hotel until about 1840, when it passed to title ownership of Henry Foote, and from him to the Bridge brothers and was kept by S.D. Bridge.

According to "Canton - The Town Friendliness Built by Judith Liscum & Students, it was once known as the Prentice House.  Henry Foote bought it in 1845 and it became The Old Tavern.  It had many owners.  The Getman brothers, Edward, Edgar & Edson operated it until 1904.  Eventually it was named the American Hotel. It was torn down in 1916.

St. Lawrence Plaindealer ("50 Years Ago")

Jan 6, 1931

American Hotel

From a 1962" Plaidealer" article by Howard Guyette, owners of this  hotel were as follows:

• Jan 1, 1825 - Sartell, Ezra, Nathaniel & John Prentices

• 1835 - Silas Hicock

• 1839 Henry Warner

• 1845 Henry Foote

• 1856 Henry died - left hotel to his children

• 1859 Stephen P Jackman

• 1860 Simeon & Raselas Bridge

• 1867 David Roulston

• 1877 Barzillai Hodskin

• 1880 Dick Bridge

• 1894 Kate Prescott

• 1897 Edgar, Edward & Edson Getman

• 1904 Fred, Sargent & Eugene M Larue

• 1906 James E Johnson

• Joseph Flanagan (from Malone)

• Thomas & Mary Burke

• 1909 Wriley N Beard

• 1916 Demolished

SD Bridge - American House 1888

St. Lawrence Plaindealer - March 2, 1943 - "50 Years Ago"

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From 1861 Ogdensburg Advance:

Canton Plaindealer 1867:

           St. Lawrence Plaindealer Feb 13, 1940

American Hotel

American House - The Oldest Hotel in the State - Opened to the Public Jan 1, 1823

Canton Commercial Advertiser 1934

Post Office - 1940s - now stands where the American Hotel once stood

PO from the Park

Alms House

St. Lawrence Plaindealer - Dec 5, 1878

St. Lawrence Plaindealer Dec 5, 1944

Benton Library - around 1907

Benton Library Interior 1912

Library's history link:

http://www.nnyln.org/canlib/history.htm

Public Library early 1900s

St. Lawrence Plaindealer Feb 26,  1907

Benton Library around 1910 - 1911

Iron Bridge & Main Street

Rapids from the Concrete Bridge

Bridge Over Grasse River & Hotel Harrington - 1945

Bridge Over DeGrasse River

Bridge West Channel

Concrete Bridge

DeGrasse River Bridge

The New Bridge 1910

According to "Canton, The Town Friendliness Built" by Judith Liscum & Students, this bridge replaced a covered bridge (pg 6)

     Grass River Looking Upstream From Bridge - 1909

New Bridge 1917

Canton Banner Car

Cascade Inn 1961

Erwin House 1909 

Stevens House - Lewis E Stevens, Commercial House - Orson W Wheeler & Abner Wells, Erwin House, Hotel R - Russet - owned by Louis Rousette and then John E McCarthy - Later the St Lawrence Inn was built on this property

1880 Canton Census has John Erwin - 53 yrs old from Ireland, wife Sarah, children Sarah, Emma, John, Clara & Frank

From a Plaindealer article ...this property was originally built as a residence by Darius Baker for his son-in-law Robert Clark.  As a hotel it suffered from 3 major fires.  One was in 1915.  The property was destroyed by the final fire on March 4, 1950. The St Lawrence Inn was built in it's place - now also gone. 

From an old Plaindealer article -Canton's Fire Department returning from a fire in 1914when Charles Cook was Chief.  Sidney Rushton whose father was JH Rushton, ran the boat shop on Riverside Drive, is pictured bringing the volunteers and their loose hose back to the headquarters.  From left to right are Ira Ingalls, Herb Morgan, who handset type for the Plaindealer, Carl Lytle, who lived on the Morley Road, Roy Morrow, John Cotter, George Wheeler, Stan Barber, Guy Eldridge and Edward Bushaw.  Behind were Bell's Sheds and the frame house where the St Lawrence Inn once stood.  The Canton Volunteers had a steam pumper titled the "Silas Wright" and two two-wheel hose carts.

Fire Trucks - Copeland & Kipp Photographers  and  Thomas Miller Furniture

According to Images of Canton, the book above, this building was built by Dr. Alfred Drury in 1897 from Canton Marble from a quarry on Miner Street Rd.   Later this building becomes the Canton Savings & Loan Assoc.

From a March 26, 1921 Plaindealer article "Stillman Foote's Marble Industry" "....Another quarry, on the S.H.Nickerson farm.....Dr. A.C. Drury secured the material for Marble Block, now the home of the Canton Savings and Loan Association"

1920 Canton Census:  Benjamin M Kipp, 38 b NY Photographer living at 17 Chapel St, Beatrice W wife 45, Harriett M sister 58, Welthia B daughter 10

Harry P Copeland, 46 b NY, Salesman living at 5 Powers St, Mable 27 wife, Jane S mother-in-law 87

1880 Canton Census:

Name  Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father's Birthplace Mother's Birthplace  Devalcourt KIPP   Self   M   Male   W   47   NY   Painter   NY   MA   Harriet KIPP   Wife   M   Female   W   45   NY   House Keeper   MA   VT   May H. KIPP   Dau   S   Female   W   19   NY   At Home   NY   NY   William F. KIPP   Son   S   Male   W   15   NY   At School   NY   NY   Albert F. KIPP   Son   S   Male   W   11   NY   At School   NY   NY   Benjamin M. KIPP   Son   S   Male   W   8   NY   At School   NY   NY   Albert KIPP   Father   W   Male   W   87   NY      HOLLAND   HOLLAND

1880 Brooklyn NY Census:

Name	Relation	Marital Status	Gender	Race	Age	Birthplace	Occupation	Father's Birthplace	Mother's Birthplace
George COPELAND	Self	M	Male	W	52	NY	Dry Goods Clerk	VT	NY
Jane S. COPELAND	Wife	M	Female	W	49	NY	Keeping House	NH	NH
Frank C. COPELAND	Son	S	Male	W	24	NY	Dry Goods Clerk	NY	NY
Harry P. COPELAND	Son	S	Male	W	7	NY		NY	NY
Samuel W. SMACK	SonL	M	Male	W	23	NY	Dry Goods Clerk	NY	NY
Minnie A. SMACK	Dau	M	Female	W	25	NY		NY	NY
Mary MURRAY	Other	S	Female	W	23	NY	Domestic Servant	IRELAND	IRELAND
Frank C. SMACK	GSon	S	Male	W	2M	NY		NY	NY

1860 Census - Albert Kipp - Blacksmith

1830 Canton Census:

William Kipp & famly

1961 Plaindealer article - "Four Kip Generations contribute to Series" by Atwood Manley Hendrich Henderickson Kipp or De Kyppe came to this country in 1637 from Holland. He was a descendant of Ruloff DeKyppe of Alencon Bretagnne France.  He became one of Peter Stuyvestant's Nine Men in New Amsterdam.  His son Jacob Hendricksen Kip became the owner of Kips Bay Farm & Kips Bay Mansion on Manhattan Island(26th & 42nd street) with Kips Bay on the East River.  This is where the British landed following the Battle of Brooklyn Heights.  Albert Ryckman Kip born in NY in 1794, an iron worker and blacksmith, came to canton from Watertown prior to 1840. 

 

Canton's St Lawrence Plaindealer

 

BG Mangin Fruit Stand - American Express - notice the plank sidewalks & dirt roads...I am not sure what year this picture was taken.  The research I have so far is on the American Express Co. This looks like the  Plaindealer building in the newspaper clipping below.

1909 obituary from the "Canton Commercial Advertiser" states that Josephine, wife of BG Mangin, age 56 yr of age (b 1853) born in Genoa Italy, came to the US 45 years ago (1864) to Canton with her husband who conducted a candy & peanut business on Main Street.

St. Lawrence Plaindealer 1896

s

Potsdam Herald 1898

From the History of St. Lawrence County by LH Everts 1878 - pg 219 ''The American Express Company have an office in the village, Messrs. Judd & Bonney being the agents.  Mr. Judd has been so connected with the company at this place for the past ten years.  The Montreal telegraph company's lines run through the village, Messrs, Judd & Bonney also being its agents.  Miss JW Ormiston is the operator."

From 1873/4 Child's Gazetteer:  "Judd, H. H., Canton, Wholesale and retail dealer in books and stationery, general ticket and A. M. U. Express agent, and manager for Montreal Telegraph Co, "

In the Canton 1870 Census, Henry H Judd from Ma., 47 yrs old, is Keeper of a Bookstore.  There are two Bonney men in Canton at this time, both farmers, Walter B - 36 yrs old and Harry S - 47 years old.

1880 Census - Walter & family still in Canton - farmers

Grasse River Above High Falls 1909

Logging on the Grass river -  1908 - below the Railroad Bridge

Grasse River Below Cold Springs 1905

Grasse River 1920s

View of DeGrasse River & Town

Grasse River above Railroad Bridge

Grasse River across from Basset's Woods

U-Auto-Go on the Grasse River early 1900s  

According to "Images of America - Canton" by Linda Casserly, Julie Sherman Grayson and Judith Liscum,  the U-Auto-Go operated from 1905 to 1930 and was operated by Winnie Taylor.  Their book has more information on this.

1920 Canton Census:  Winfield E Taylor 45, born in NY, Boat L*****, wife Ada 33, daughter Mary W

 

Union Block - 1855 - O. Page Boots & Shoes - B. Hodskin Co Treasr - Butter & Cheese

Etching from 1858 Map  from actual Surveys by AE Rogerson CE - Published by JB Shields - Philadelphia 

Etching by E.K Hough, Daguerrean Artist - over B. Hodskins Store

(etching - not a post card - Union Block was on Water Street which is now Riverside Drive - Union Block was destroyed by fire possibly set by a mentally effected employee of Gage and Gilmore in 1869.) Here is a poem written about the fire by Daniel Reynolds.  It was reprinted 100 years later by the Plaindealer in Dec 1969.  There was a second fire in Union block 1882.

"CANTON'S BIG FIRE

On the fourteenth of August, About three o'clock, A fire had started In  Union Block,

Where Theodore Caldwell  His fortune was making, !In exchange for his goods Many 'stamps' he was taking.

"The devouring flame'; Appeared bent on destruction, The 'brakes' were put down, In a workmanlike manner, But all to no purpose The Block was a goner.

"The Plaindealer office Was brought to the level; It went to destruction In spite of the Devil;

Type, paper, and presses Were consumed in a minute It fell to the cellar I With everything in it.

'"In spite of our efforts I The fire still rages, I And goes for the furniture Stored up in Gage's;

When this was disposed of It took a re-action And went for the butter Of Benton & Jackson,

"From here it took shoemakers. Weavers and tailors, Tinkers and jewelers, Saddlers and nailers:

It brought them to grief In a double-quick manner,  And next made a raid On the store of Frank Tanner.

"Where the best of good whiskey And Syracuse ale,  Was passed through the crowd In a laree wooden pail. '

At the sight of the whiskey The boys were delighted,— Good Templars and topers For once were united!

"Harry Smith's store Was the next thing in order Where drugs might be found To cure any disorder;

He also kept candy,  And tip top cigars,  And the best of French brandy.

Put up in glass jars. At Everest's meat-shop It went like a glutton, And in less than a giffy Devoured all his mutton."

Daniel Reynolds"

Occupants of Union Block

Geo C Bogue - Deal in Butter & Cheese,

O Page Boots, Shoes, Trunks

______Cadwell & Goodn___ Dry Goods, Hats, Caps Minnors block

HL Sackrider Hardware & Cutlery

Chapins & Simms Stoves & Tins

S Baldwin Justice of Peace

B Hodskin Co. Treasurer

WB Goodrich Editor & Publisher

WB Goodrich Atty at Law

EK Hough Daguerrean Artist over B Hodskins Store

References

Storrs & Mathews Store

Perkins & Hal______ Stove Store

HH & JR Conkey's Shoe Store

LEB Winslows Drug Store

Packards Dry Good Store

HA Post Grocery Store

JC Preston MD Office

GW Goodrich Dry Goods

Clark's Saloon Conkey's Bar

According to "History of St Lawrence Co. NY"  LH Everts, Philadelphia 1878 - pg 218-219 "The Union block, built in 1850, contained the first public hall aside from the town-hall, in the village,  It was erected by B. Hodskin, and was destroyed by fire in 1869. The Hodskin Opera-House is situated on Hodskin Street and has a seating capacity of 300,  it has a stage and was opened as a public hall in 1876....(note this is not the Town Hall as it was not erected yet)..Simeon D. Moody erected in 1835 a brick block, to which Union block is adjoined" 

Barzillai Hodskins and his father Nathaniel came to Canton in 1827. 

 

 Read more here:

Canton Village History from Ray's Place, http://www.history.rays-place.com/ny/canton-2-ny.htm

"...Simeon D Moody,  built part of the Union Block which was burned"

O. Page is probably Orville Page born in 1818 and died in Canton in 1878, the son of Elias C Page & Dolly Shaw Page.  Click here for Rootsweb info: http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=refinnigan11&id=I28722

Gouverneur Press 1882

 

St Lawrence Plaindealer 1864

 

St Lawrence Plaindealer 1867

Looks like it says "Hardware Co" on sign over store on right - this may be Union Block, I'm not sure..

Canton Commercial Advertiser - 1939

Proctor House

I'm not sure which Proctor owned this house.  Here is the Rootsweb link for Israel Proctor who came to Ogdensburg and his family: http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:3214707&id=I3912

Also William Lawrence Proctor,  born in East Washington,  NH 1837, died in Lakewood, NJ 1877 - cemetery link for Proctors in Ogdensburg: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~stlawgen/CEMETERY/Ogdensburgh/Ogdensburghnr.HTM

1860 Ogdensburg Census (pg214) lists William Proctor, age 24, as a Lumberman

Articles from the Ogdensburg Advance talk about WIlliam Lawrence Proctor and Henry Israel Proctor, two brothers who came to Ogdensburg in the mid 1800s and were involved with lumbering and Mill work.  Their descendents built the business further.  The Dairy buildings at Canton's Ag Schools were built by the Proctors.  No doubt this house above belonged to one of their descendents.

Rollin Ellsworth Cleveland Cold Storage West Street F

(lineage: Frederic Cleveland Jr. - son Francis Cleveland- owner of Marble Business - two sons, Frank Nash Cleveland and Rollin E Cleveland)  Frederick Cleveland married a daughter of Tubal Nash.  Rollin lived at 44 Court Street - died 1938.  Frank Nash Cleveland was Secretary of SLU for 30 years - died in 1922.

From Canton Commercial Advertiser 1938:

1860 Canton Census - Possibly the family... pg 201, family 488 F Cleveland 36 b NY boarding house, Harriett 31, Frank 5, Rollin E 3, Helen E 1,

1870 Census  - Francis 48(Farmer), Harriett,41, Frank 15, Rollin 13, Helen 11

1901 Canton Commercial Advertiser:

RE Cleveland Cold (Coal) Storage West Street

University Inn

  University Inn (Treadway) - Golf Club

Northern Pine Inn

Blue Mountain House & Cottages

Elm Street

Chapel Street 1909

Silas Wright Home 1932

Tea Cozy - Silas Wright Homestead - 1936

Photo Park Studio - home of Dwight Church -  home demolished in 2003

Dwight was born 1891 - died 1974.  He took many of the photographs you will see in Post Cards on this North Country web site.  He took black & white shots and used clear tape with white typed print. He had a plane and used to fly around the north country taking pictures. You will find many of his sky views of towns on my site.   Dwight was a descendent of Canton's pioneer Daniel Church.  According to an old Plaindealer article, Daniel was "a millwright who came with Stillman Foot from Vermont in 1800 traveling by water by way of Lake Champlain, the St. Lawrence River and Grasse Rivers bringing by boat the iron for Canton's first mill."

        Harvesting a Field 1907

This picture came from an old Plaindealer article dated 1964.  It was taken in 1891 of "an old planing mill which was the center of Canton's Industry near where the new Village Street Department garage has been built.  Standing on the load of lumber is Charles Gillett who was only 14 years old then and now 87.....the driver is Mike Cunningham..."

The Kennedy House

St. Lawrence Plaindealer May 11, 1943

Torn down in 1969 - built by Egbert Henry Southworth 1872 - on Canton Pierrepont Road (Rt 68) directly across from SLU's  Elsa Gunnison Appleton Riding Arena - next to the Evergreen Cemetery.  I was about 14 when this home was torn down and my friends Lynn Flanagan Lawrence,  Teresa Smith and I sadly watched it fall to a pile of bricks.

1880 Census:  Egbert H Southward 52, b NY, Parents from Vt, Silva E 57, Henry B son 22, Elizabeth M 20, Martha A 18, Tracy P 16.

1870 Census: also has older daughters Mary Jane -  16 b Ct, Marion 14 b Ct

click here for more info:

River Flood 1900

Edward John Noble Hospital

Who was Edward John Noble? From Wikipedia, "1882-1958) ...was a US Broadcasting and candy industrialist originally from Gouverneur, NY. He co-founded the Life Savers Corporation in 1913.  He founded the American Broadcasting Company when he purchased the NBC Blue Network in 1943 following  the FCC's decree that RCA divest itself of one of its two radio networks.  In 1912chocolate manufacturer Clarence  Crane from Cleveland, Ohio invented Life Savers as a "summer candy" that could withstand heat better than chocolate.  Since the mints looked like miniature life preservers, he called them Life Savers.  After registering the trademark, Crane  sold the rights to the peppermint candy to Edward Noble for $2,900.  Noble created tin-foil wrappers to keep the mints fresh, instead of cardboard rolls. Pep-O-Mint   was the first Life Savor flavor.  Since then many different flavors of Life Savers have been produced.  The five-flavor roll first appeared in 1935.  Sometimes Ed would sneak a wintergreen Lifesaver or two,    turn out the lights, and shock his staff by creating sparks from his mouth.  That is how the early days of spark gap radio  were started. Edward also had 3 hospitals and a foundation named after him." 

His parents were Harvey H Noble and  Edna Wood Noble.  Harvey ran a coal, wood & building supply company in Gouverneur (see Gouverneur photos for a picture of the store)and he was an agent for the Rome & Watertown RR.  Edward went to Yale.     He also served on the Board of Trustees  for SLU.

Harvey may have been the son of Reuben Noble and Mary Hale - all buried together at Riverside Cemetery in Gouverneur:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~stlawgen/CEMETERY/GRiverside/GRiversideN.HTM

Rootsweb link on Reuben:  http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=lucinda&id=I7468

Canton Creeper

New York Central Depot - 1909

NYC Station

(What do you know?  The Hoot Owl really was once a train station....)

1907...but this is ageless.....

First National Bank 1930s

St Lawrence County National Bank

1910 St. Lawrence County National Bank

St. Lawrence County National Bank

Click here to read about the organization of banks in Canton including the St. Lawrence County Bank:

Canton Village History from Ray's Place, http://www.history.rays-place.com/ny/canton-2-ny.htm

 

Ogdensburg Advance 1861

Gouverneur Press 1868

Quarter Way House - Tavern - between Canton and Ogdensburg - Stage Stop  - bought by George Woodbridge in 1844.

Home with Horse & Buggy 1890s

Sherwins Mill, River View, Old DeKalb Road