This story originally appeared in the Canton Citizen on August 21, 2014. At 38 years old, the author had amassed a small fortune and was in a position to purchase the country estate in Ponkapoag. After laboring for 20 years in the editorial mill and publishing seven volumes of poetry and four bestselling books, he […]
Since 1932, a simple, unassuming paper box has been tucked away in the vault at the Canton Historical Society. Inside this crude container rests one of the most invaluable treasures from our town’s very beginnings: The Parson Samuel Dunbar Diary. And today. as we’re preparing to celebrate the monumental 300th anniversary of Stoughton and the […]
I’ve always said that one of the greatest joys is that of being a local historian. We get to be curious, nosey, armchair detectives. We get to go through dusty attics, open drawers, climb through ancient crypts, peak into long, lost hidey holes, and most of all, read other people’s mail! A small parcel of […]
Benjamin Eames Morse was born at a time when photography was just starting to become mainstream. When combined with a thirst for travel and scientific curiosity, Morse had all the makings of a really great amateur photographer. More importantly, Morse and his brother Abner inherited a vast fortune that included income from patents and chemical […]
This story originally appeared in the Canton Citizen on July 23, 2020 and was reprinted last month following the inauguration of Donald Trump. History takes a very long view of conflicts, and as divided as the country is today, this is not the first time that deep divisions split our society. Of course, the Civil War […]
The small box looks like a miniature treasure chest. A skin of brittle leather covers the box, which is appointed by brass tacks. The original handmade lock is wrought from a blacksmith’s forge, and the entire box has an air of secrecy. Inside is a small glass photo trimmed in copper foil. This box was […]
In this two-part installment of True Tales from Canton’s Past, local historian George T. Comeau recounts the February 1895 murder of John Fleming, a young man of just 18 who was fatally shot in a downtown Canton shop. The series was originally published in the Citizen in early 2020 and was reprinted over the past […]
On a bright Friday afternoon on May 19, 1922, Atherton Dunbar returned to his laboratory in the basement of the Jefferson Physical Laboratory at Harvard University. It was just after lunch, and the budding scientist was working on a very important project in the cryogenic engineering lab that was both of military and industrial importance. […]
For some of our readers this week, you are reading the Canton Citizen for the first time. This issue is in your hands illustrating the breadth and width of town news, events, and culture. Subscribers will be pleased to know that this is the 245th installment of True Tales from Canton’s Past. And for our […]
This story originally appeared in the Canton Citizen on March 30, 2017 and was reprinted this week. The weather in the Bahamas is quite beautiful this time of year, and for the members of the Skycombers Flying Club it would be a perfect way to spend a weekend away after a tough New England winter. […]
