The Canton we know today was once the wilds of Dorchester. This area, largely inhabited by the Ponkapoag tribe, became an attractive settlement for a handful of pioneering men and women leaving the relative congestion of larger towns. The idea of buying and selling land was a purely English notion; the natives had no concept […]
A rich photographic history is preserved at the Canton Historical Society. With well over 4,000 catalogued images, each moment in time helps us see the fabric of the people and places of Canton. Photos 1 & 2: The Canton Catholic Club occupied the building that was once the Massapoag House. The original building was constructed in […]
The entire village of South Canton gathered to see the militia in their stunning uniforms at the house of the general. On that Friday in October 1823, the trees dripped with red and gold and an autumn sun cast long shadows across Washington Street. The force was made up of many of the sons of […]
Representatives of the Paul Revere Heritage Commission received initial positive feedback from the Board of Selectmen Tuesday night following a presentation on proposed uses for the Paul Revere Heritage Site and park, located off Revere Street at the former Plymouth Rubber property. While plans for the heritage site remain a work in progress, commission members […]
Caroline Christian never knew either of her parents, but both, she has since learned, really loved the scent of bread. For her father, Dick Cammarata, it was the smell of his mother’s homemade rolls that he could not get enough of — a scent that once wafted through the air in his downtown Canton restaurant, […]
Hiking across the marsh, Elwyn Capen had endured several days of torrential spring downpours, yet he was in his glory. Soaked to his skin, a heavy wool coat slowed his progress as he approached the nest just at the edge of Ponkapoag Pond. High up in the tree was the large nest of a great […]
Talking portraits, state-of-the-art exhibits, a “destination” restaurant and taproom, a true village green — it’s all part of the bold vision for the future Paul Revere Heritage Site and cultural center off Neponset Street, and it is rapidly moving into the realm of possibility, armed with the backing of the influential Revere Heritage Commission and […]
In a meadow, he stepped lightly, avoiding the obvious signs of bovine leavings. In the heat of the late afternoon, the sun was declining and casting long shadows over the pasture. And as he cleared the thicket, he saw the elegance and grace of the herd at rest. He wanted to capture them in this […]
The idea behind saving the buildings at the Paul Revere and Sons property began back in 2008 when Attorney Paul Schneiders, representing the Napleton Company, stood before the Canton Historical Commission and sought a demolition request for the historic structures. It was unthinkable that such nationally significant mill buildings with a lineage that connected directly […]
As the mail arrived at the town clerk’s office, one letter stood apart from the rest. The dispatch was postmarked from a small Bavarian village. And as Gail McHugo slit open the envelope, a simple typed note began a journey into Canton’s history that few know about today. “More than 100 years ago,” the letter […]
