Canton, MA
Canton was incorporated in 1797, formed from the southern district of Stoughton as the region developed into a small but active industrial community along the Neponset River. Early iron works, mills, and the copper rolling works established by Paul Revere helped place Canton among the important manufacturing towns of early Massachusetts. In the nineteenth century the town also became known for the Canton Viaduct, a remarkable granite railroad bridge built in 1835 for the Boston & Providence Railroad. Today Canton’s landscape reflects this blend of industry, transportation innovation, and early New England settlement.
Recent Posts
Paul Revere MODI Bell Installation
In Canton, this memorial connects directly to one of the lesser-known parts of Paul Revere’s life. Most people remember Revere for his famous midnight ride during the American Revolution, but later in life he became an important industrialist and manufacturer. Canton was where he established his copper rolling mill and bell foundry in the early 1800s, industries […]
The Granite Railway
This is the remains of the historic Granite Railway Incline in Canton, part of the original Granite Railway system built in 1826. The incline was engineered to move enormous blocks of granite from the quarries in Quincy down toward the Neponset River transportation system. The granite was then shipped onward for major construction projects, most famously the Bunker […]
Neponset River
The Neponset River has shaped the history of eastern Massachusetts for centuries, long before factories and mills appeared along its banks. Rising in Foxborough and flowing more than 25 miles to Boston Harbor, the river provided food, transportation, and power for generations of Native peoples and later for colonial settlements that grew eside it. Its steady current and changing […]
1878 Memorial Hall
Memorial Hall in Canton, dated 1878, was built as a lasting tribute to the town’s Civil War veterans. Like many Massachusetts towns, Canton sent men to serve in the war, and the hall stood as a public expression of remembrance for those who fought and for those who never came home. Rather than creating only a […]
Canton Viaduct
Taking the time to explore a small town often leads to unexpected discoveries. That was certainly true on a drive through Canton. When I read that Canton Viaduct was once the largest railroad viaduct in the world, I knew I wanted to see it for myself. It is quite remarkable that in this quiet New […]
