Canton Town Seal (Annual Town Report)

Formation of Canton¹

As early as 1782 there was growing sentiment in the Town of Stoughton that it should be divided as the population of the town was dispersed that made it difficult for town meetings to be held, especially with the town’s poor infrastructure. By 1793 that area of Stoughton (that would become known as Canton) called the First Parish supported a petition that called for its separation from Stoughton and sent it to the Massachusetts Legislature which after a second petition in 1795 granted the first parish its independence in February, 1797 by the Legislature and was signed into law by Governor Samuel Adams. Before the law was enacted members of the First Parish met in December 1796 to decide on a name for the new town; the candidates for the town name were Ponkapoag (in honor of the Pond and Native Americans) and Canton (after Canton China). In March 1797 Canton held a town meeting to elect town officials and it is here that Elijah Crane was elected Town Clerk and Selectman, Benjamin Tucker was elected Selectmen, Nathan Crane Assessor and Selectmen, and Joseph Bemis Treasurer and Constable.

Resources¹

History of the Town of Canton by Daniel TV Huntoon, 458-464.