Canton (town), New York

Canton
—  Town  —
Seal
Canton Location of Canton in New York
Coordinates: 44°35′51″N 75°10′16″W
Country	United States
State	New York
County	St. Lawrence
Established	1805
Population (Census 2010)
• Total	10,995
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Demonym	Cantonian
Website	www.contonnewyork.us

Canton is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, USA. The population was 10,995 at the 2010 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 the great port of 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.

History

The first settler arrived in 1800.

The town was organized in 1805 from part of the town of Lisbon. The name Canton was supposedly^{[citation needed]} 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.

Its post office building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Notable people

• Charles Edward Bennett, Florida congressman, was born in Canton.
• Dave Jennings, professional American football player; played for St. Lawrence University
• Atwood G. Manley, biographer of J. Henry Rushton and Frederic Remington.
• Frederic Remington, artist.
• William Pierce Rogers, United States Secretary of State.
• J. Henry Rushton, canoe designer.
• Governor Silas Wright.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, 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.

Demographics

As of 2000, the census 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.

Communities and locations in the town

• Crary Mills – A hamlet southwest of Canton village.
• Brick Chapel – A hamlet south of Canton village on County Road 27.
• Canton – 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.
• Morley – 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 Falls – A village in the northwest corner of the town on County Roads 14 and 15.
• St. Lawrence University – A university in Canton village.
• SUNY Canton – 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.

External links

• Canton town website
• Canton area information
• Canton information and links
• Canton history
• Canton Historic Map