Canton (town), New York
Encyclopedia
Canton is a town in St. Lawrence County
, New York
, USA
. The population was 10,334 at the 2000 census. The town contains two villages: one also named Canton
, the other named Rensselaer Falls
. Canton is located near the center of the county. The town is named after Canton
(now named Guangzhou) in China
. Canton is the home of St. Lawrence University and SUNY Canton. Canton Central School District is centered in the village of Canton.
The town was organized in 1805 from part of the town of Lisbon
. The name Canton was supposedly selected due to contemporary interests in the China trade. Canton was one of the original ten towns of the county.
In 1845, the community of Canton incorporated
as a village.
, the town has a total area of 105.9 square miles (274.3 km²), of which, 104.8 square miles (271.4 km²) of it is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²) of it (1.03%) is water.
The Grasse River
flows northward through the center of St. Lawrence County, and the Oswegatchie River
flows through the northwest corner.
US Route 11 is a northeast-southwest highway, which intersects New York State Route 68
and New York State Route 310
at Canton village.
reported that there were 10,334 people, 3,198 households, and 2,011 families residing in the town. The population density
was 98.6 people per square mile (38.1/km²). There were 3,515 housing units at an average density of 33.5 per square mile (12.9/km²). 91.81% White, 4.49% Black or African American, 0.54% Native American
, 0.99% Asian
, 1.02% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic
or Latino
of any race were 1.92% of the population.
There were 3,198 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples
living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the town the population was spread out with 18.9% under the age of 18, 29.6% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,875, and the median income for a family was $43,819. Males had a median income of $33,993 versus $25,989 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $14,896. About 9.2% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.6% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
St. Lawrence County, New York
St. Lawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 111,944. The county seat is Canton. The county is named for the Saint Lawrence River, which in turn was named for the Catholic saint on whose Feast day the river was discovered by...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 10,334 at the 2000 census. The town contains two villages: one also named Canton
Canton (village), New York
Canton is a village in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The village is centrally located in both the town of Canton and the county of St. Lawrence. The population was 5,882 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of St. Lawrence County...
, the other named Rensselaer Falls
Rensselaer Falls, New York
Rensselaer Falls is a village located in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 337...
. Canton is located near the center of the county. The town is named after Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
(now named Guangzhou) in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Canton is the home of St. Lawrence University and SUNY Canton. Canton Central School District is centered in the village of Canton.
History
The first settler arrived in 1800.The town was organized in 1805 from part of the town of Lisbon
Lisbon, New York
Lisbon is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 4,047 at the 2000 census.By some accounts, the town is named after the capital of Portugal. However, the 1810 US Census for the town shows the town's name as Lisburn, which is a city located in Northern Ireland...
. The name Canton was supposedly selected due to contemporary interests in the China trade. Canton was one of the original ten towns of the county.
In 1845, the community of Canton incorporated
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
as a village.
Notable people
- Charles Edward BennettCharles Edward BennettCharles Edward Bennett was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Florida from 1949 to 1993. He was a Democrat who resided in Jacksonville, Florida.-Early years:...
, Florida congressman, was born in Canton. - Dr. Daniel Campbell Dr. Daniel Campbell, M.D.
- Dave JenningsDave Jennings (American football)David Tuthill Jennings is a former American football punter with a 14 year career from 1974 to 1987 in the National Football League. He played for the New York Giants and the New York Jets. He worked as a radio color commentator for Giants games from 2002 until 2007, when he was replaced by former...
, professional American football player; played for St. Lawrence University - Atwood G. Manley, biographer of J. Henry Rushton and Frederic RemingtonFrederic RemingtonFrederic Sackrider Remington was an American painter, illustrator, sculptor, and writer who specialized in depictions of the Old American West, specifically concentrating on the last quarter of the 19th century American West and images of cowboys, American Indians, and the U. S...
. - Frederic RemingtonFrederic RemingtonFrederic Sackrider Remington was an American painter, illustrator, sculptor, and writer who specialized in depictions of the Old American West, specifically concentrating on the last quarter of the 19th century American West and images of cowboys, American Indians, and the U. S...
, artist. - William Pierce Rogers, United States Secretary of StateUnited States Secretary of StateThe United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
. - J. Henry Rushton, canoe designer.
- Governor Silas WrightSilas WrightSilas Wright, Jr. was an American Democratic politician. Wright was born in Amherst, Massachusetts and moved with his father to Weybridge, Vermont in 1796. He graduated from Middlebury College in 1815 and moved to Sandy Hill, New York, the next year, where he studied law, being admitted to the bar...
.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 105.9 square miles (274.3 km²), of which, 104.8 square miles (271.4 km²) of it is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²) of it (1.03%) is water.
The Grasse River
Grasse River
The Grasse River or Grass River is a river in northern New York, in the United States...
flows northward through the center of St. Lawrence County, and the Oswegatchie River
Oswegatchie River
The Oswegatchie River is a river in northern New York that flows north from the Adirondack Mountains to the Saint Lawrence River at the city of Ogdensburg. The river mouth was the site of a Jesuit mission, Fort de La Présentation, founded in 1749. Also a fur trading post, the village had 3,000...
flows through the northwest corner.
US Route 11 is a northeast-southwest highway, which intersects New York State Route 68
New York State Route 68
New York State Route 68 is an east–west state highway located entirely within St. Lawrence County in the North Country of New York in the United States. The western terminus is at an intersection with NY 37 in Oswegatchie, just west of the Ogdensburg city limits...
and New York State Route 310
New York State Route 310
New York State Route 310 is a north–south state highway located entirely within St. Lawrence County in the North Country of the U.S. state of New York. The southern terminus is at NY 68 and U.S. Route 11 in the town of Canton, just east of the village of Canton...
at Canton village.
Demographics
, the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
reported that there were 10,334 people, 3,198 households, and 2,011 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 98.6 people per square mile (38.1/km²). There were 3,515 housing units at an average density of 33.5 per square mile (12.9/km²). 91.81% White, 4.49% Black or African American, 0.54% Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 0.99% Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
, 1.02% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
or Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
of any race were 1.92% of the population.
There were 3,198 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the town the population was spread out with 18.9% under the age of 18, 29.6% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,875, and the median income for a family was $43,819. Males had a median income of $33,993 versus $25,989 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $14,896. About 9.2% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.6% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in the town
- Crary MillsCrary Mills, New YorkCrary Mills is a hamlet in St. Lawrence County, New York. It consists of the southeast corner of the Town of Canton and parts of the towns of Potsdam and Pierrepont....
– A hamlet southwest of Canton village. - Brick Chapel – A hamlet south of Canton village on County Road 27.
- CantonCanton (village), New YorkCanton is a village in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The village is centrally located in both the town of Canton and the county of St. Lawrence. The population was 5,882 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of St. Lawrence County...
– A village centrally located in the town by the Grasse River and US-11. - Eddy – A hamlet in the southwest corner of the town on US-11.
- MorleyMorley, New York-Geography:Morley is on the Grasse River, downstream from the Village of Canton, where the river goes through some rapids. Today, Morley is at the junction of St. Lawrence County Routes 14 and 27.-History:...
– A hamlet on the northern town line by the Grasse River at the intersection of County Roads 14 and 27. The community was originally known as "Long Rapids." - Pyrites – A hamlet in the southwest corner of the town on US-11.
- Rensselaer FallsRensselaer Falls, New YorkRensselaer Falls is a village located in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 337...
– A village in the northwest corner of the town on County Roads 14 and 15. - St. Lawrence UniversitySt. Lawrence UniversitySt. Lawrence University is a four-year liberal arts college located in the village of Canton in Saint Lawrence County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2300 undergraduate and 100 graduate students, about equally split between male and female....
– A university in Canton village. - SUNY CantonState University of New York at CantonThe State University of New York at Canton , is a public, coeducational, residential college located on a spacious campus along the banks of the Grasse River in St. Lawrence County, New York within the Town of Canton. Its northern location places SUNY Canton close to the Adirondack Mountains, the St...
– A state technical college northwest of Canton village. - Upper and Lower Lakes State Wildlife Area – A conservation area in the north half of town.
- Woodbridge Corners – A location NY-68 northwest of Canton village.