WELCOME! Canton Connecticut
In 1737 one or two families settled in the western part of Simsbury, which became Western Simsbury. The town of Canton was incorporated in May 1806. The town includes the villages of North Canton, Canton Center, Canton, and Collinsville.
Origin of choice of Canton as a name for the town, was located in "Canton Sesquicentennial 1806-1956" by the Canton Sesquicentennial committee. They provided the following quoted words from a historical address given by William Edgar Simonds in 1876.
"The Ecclesiastical Society of West Simsbury, containing about thirteen hundred inhabitants, was incorporated as the town of Canton, by an act of the General Assembly in 1806. The name Canton, suggested by the late Ephraim Mills, is derived from a supposed likeness to a Swiss canton, the meaning of the word being to divide or set off, and the partition from Somsbury made the name apprpriate."
Looking at The Collins Compant buildings Collinsville, Front Street
The goal of this site is to provice an abundance of information pertaining to the genealogy and history of Canton County, Connecticut. The contents of the site are FREE for you to use in compiling your family histories. Contributions are always welcome. Please fell free to share family history, including photos, all will be greatly appreciated. I hope you will find the information presented here helpful in you family history search.
History of Canton
A brief history overview from the "Canton Sesquicentennial 1806-1956".
The early history of Canton, prior to the Revolution, the people of Canton lived on "a subsistence basis". Local farming yielded barley, corn, flax and wheat. Sheep were raised for wool. By the 1790's the stagecoach roads were being built. "By 1820, it had built up a large volume of traffic. Daily stagecoaches ran from Hartford to Albany." Canton farms were able to sell hay.
After the invention of the breast water wheel, Samuel Collins bought up a old gristmill along the Farmington River and started a axe factory. This business provided jobs to the region. Collinsville grew from this business. Housing was build and stores were selling goods to workers and
From the "History of Simsbury, Granby and Canton From 1642 to 1845" by Noah A. Phelps (pages 137-140), I was able to located the early settlers of the area.
EARLY SETTLERS INCLUDED:
Richard Case is supposed to have been the first setler. Others include: Dr. Samuel Barber, Serjeant Thomas Barber, Jonathan Barber, John Barber, Deacon Abraham Case, Amos Case, Benjamin Dyer, Samuel Humphry, Joseph Mills, Ezra Willcox, Dudley Case, Oliver Humphrey Esq., Nathaniel Alford, Lieut. David Adams,Serjeant Daniel Case, Capt. Ezekiel Humphry, Capt. Josiah Case, Isaac Messenger, Ensign Isaac Tuller, Capt. Zacheus Case, Deacon Hosea Case, Capt. John Foot, Capt. John Brown and Solomon Humphry.
Canton Historical Museum, 11 Front Street in Collinsville
Canton, Memorial History of Hartford County, CT
Neighboring Counties and Surnames
The neighboring counties of Carton are Avon (South), Burlington (South), Granby (North), New Hartford (West), Barkhamsted (Northwest), and Simsbury (East).
Canton Surnames:
Surname | Researcher | |
Submit your surnames by email. They will be added to this site as soon as possible.
Links
Here are a few links to help you find more information in your genealogical research.
Canton Links:
Canton Historical Museum Roaring Brook Nature Center
Genealogy Links:
USGenWeb Family Search Civil War
Important Addresses
Canton Town Hall Canton Public Library Canton Historical Museum
4 Market Street 40 Dyer Avenue 11 Front Street
Collinsville, CT Collinsville, CT Collinsville, CT
Canton County Coordinator: Joan Reynolds-de Grandis
Site last update ---- 7 February 2009
If you have questions, comments or contributions to this ongoing collective effort,
please e-mail Joan Reynolds-de Grandis