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Discover Michigan's Historic Canton
The Ice Age
In the beginning an ancient lake, known as Lake Whittelsey, extended westward from our present Lake Erie to the beach on the Ridge in Canton's western sections. The lake bed contained trace minerals and organic matter in its heavy clay loam that made Canton a rich and fertile agricultural area for future farmers. The ridge, known today as Ridge Road is made up of layers of sand and gravel. East from Ridge Road the land slowly drops off in elevation to the Detroit River, westward from the ridge the land begins to roll in gentle hills. Ridge Road is truly a geological turning point in Wayne County.
Native Americans
Hunting for game in the abundant woods and streams and gathering berries and other natural foodstuffs were the ways of the Potawatomi Indians that lived in Southeastern Michigan. They traversed the land by way of trails, some of which today we speed along in our automobiles such as Ridge Road, Ann Arbor Trail, North Territorial Road, Geddes Road, Joy Road and Michigan Avenue.
Chief Tonquish, who lived in western Wayne County, was locally famous. The Potawatomi's saw the settlement of the area by whites as in intrusion on their traditional ways of life, and resorted to petty thieving to demonstrate their disapproval. Although no white person was ever injured in these forays, the settlers became irritated and staged an attack on the Indians. After crossing what is now known as Tonquish Creek, Chief Tonquish and his men were captured. The Chief's son tried to escape and was shot and killed by the butt of another man's rifle caving in his head, that same evening in 1819. That incident ended the Indian resistance in these parts. A Michigan State historic marker was erected on the site where this event happened on Wayne Road, just south of Joy.
The First Settlers
In spite of early reports of mosquito-infested swamp land and dense timber unfit for human inhabitation, the settlers came. With the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, settlers from New England and upstate new York came west for new land. The first land grant in Canton was given to Philander Burd in 1825. His home has been carefully restored on its original site on Joy Road just west of McClumpha. Other early settlers were Timothy and Rachel Sheldon, who built an inn on Michigan Avenue and later were part of a thriving village.
The new settlers in Canton found heavy timber mainly consisting of elm, black ash and oak and teaming with bears, deer, wolf, lynx, fox, and many others. The land was cleared, homes were built, farms were begun, and schools and churches were organized. By the 1830's civilization had arrived in Canton!
Canton Become a Township
On March 7, 1834, a six square mile area bounded by Joy Road on the North, Van Born Road to the south, Hannan Road to the east and Napier Road to the west became known as Canton. Canton, like Nankin and Peking townships were named after cities in China due in part to the enhanced trade relations the United States had with China at that time. Additionally, Washington D.C. had decreed that all new townships had to use names not previously used by another post office. Today Canton is the only township of the three that uses its original name.
Canton was and continues to be governed by a Board of Trustees. In 1874 the first township hall was built on the corner of Canton Center and Cherry Hill Roads. It seated 400 people and was built at a cost of $700!!
In 1961 the population of Canton had climbed to 5,300. Due to an increased need for services, the township proposed to the voters that Canton incorporate into a charter township, leaving all the previous powers Canton enjoyed formerly as well as granting new powers. The Township could establish a police force, make traffic rules and broaden its health ordinances. Canton became one of Michigan's first Charter Townships. Today Canton enjoys a full service police and fire department, and accredited school system, professionally managed departments in the township hall, a full service library, a multifaceted recreational department, many volunteer and civic organizations and much more to serve the 50,000 plus people who now reside here.
Michigan's Sweet Corn Capital
Beginning with the first settlers in Canton, self sustaining farming was the main source of income. The farm provided the necessary food and products for a family's livelihood, while the extra could be sold or bartered for goods, services or cash. Oxen were originally used for working the farms, but by the 1850's draft horses began replacing them.
The typical Canton farm family owned six or eight milk cows, hogs for marketing, hens for eggs and meat and a few sheep. Ice cut from nearby rivers in the winter kept food and milk preserved in the summer. The abundant maple trees provided maple sugar each spring.
From 1925 to 1970 Canton was touted as the "Sweet Corn Capitol of Michigan". Farmers within a days horse and wagon drive to Detroit took advantage of the opportunity and raised the profitable sweet corn to be sold at the Farmers Market.
Dairy farming was also important in Canton due to its central location. At first farmers took their milk to local creameries located in the villages of Sheldon Corners and Cherry Hill. From these creameries, Canton's milk was distributed to larger nearby communities, including Detroit. Today one large dairy herd still exists in Canton, run by descendants of another early family, the Gills.
The Schools
Most of Canton's settlers came from New England with its strong emphasis on education. Along with their convictions, the Territorial Council of 1827 ruled that any township consisting of 50 or more families must employ one or more school masters of "good moral standing" to teach the "three R's".
There were nine schools built in Canton, usually at a crossroad. They were arranged to make them accessible to children walking to school. Teachers were hired for a specific number of weeks to teach and often boarded with local families. Each school was a "district" unto itself with its own school board. Families in each area worked together to build and support the school, paying a "tax" for each child that attended and donating a cord of firewood for the school stove.
The first schools were primitive log structures, one of the first being in Cherry Hill, built in 1834. Later, brick or frame schools replaced them. The schools were often used as social centers for the surrounding area for religious services and non-profit shows.
Today five of the original nine schools remain: Hough is privately owned; Cherry Hill is a restored public facility; Canton Center (built in 1884) houses the Canton Historical Society's Museum, and Sheldon has been restored by the Township. Several of the schools are both local and state historical sites.
The Cross Road Villages
Throughout most of its history Canton was primarily farm land. But among the fields and woods existed two small villages: Sheldon Corners and Cherry Hill.
Sheldon Corners was established in 1825 by Timothy and Rachel Sheldon after spending a night alongside the Sauk Trail (A.K.A. Michigan Ave.) under a large tree. They built an inn (which still stands) for other weary travelers heading westward. Later the Sheldons were part of a growing new village that provided services, like a post office, general store, a blacksmith, school and a church. Sheldon Corners was also a stop on the Interurban, a trolley car of sorts that connected Detroit with western communities from the early 1900's to 1930.
Cherry Hill, like Sheldon Corners, was also established in 1825 and developed in much the same way. Cherry Hill boasts the first church-the Cherry Hill United Methodist Church and Cemetery, both organized in 1834. Cherry Hill was first known as "The Ridge", and was later renamed Cherry Hill Village. About 1865 after Abner Hitchcock built his inn and named it the "Cherry Hill House" after the abundant wild cherry trees growing there. In the 1940's Henry Ford built one of his "Village Industries" in Cherry Hill and adopted the Cherry Hill School as part of the Greenfield Village School System, offering the students many wonderful new opportunities.
Both communities saw much local activity as farmers brought their milk and eggs to the local creameries, bartered at the general store and attended social activities at the schools, churches and inns.
Today Sheldon Corners is but a remnant of its past, falling to the widening of Michigan Avenue. A few of the historic structures remain: The Inn, the school and a few homes. Canton now owns the Sheldon school (built in 1870) and is restoring it. Sheldon has been listed as a Michigan State historic site. Cherry Hill remains much as it was, with only the additions of a few new homes on its landscape. Canton owns the Cherry Hill school (built in 1876) and a 21 acre tract of land which will be used for local preservation projects. The school has been restored and is open for public use. Both the church and the school are local and state historic sites.