Gazetteer of the State of Maine With Numerous Illustrations, by Geo. J. Varney

BOSTON: PUBLISHED BY B. B. RUSSELL, 57 CORNHILL. 1882. Public domain image from

CANTON.    157

There is a public library of about 350 volumes. Canaan has twelve
public schoolhouses, valued with the other school property at $5,000.
The valuation of estates in 1870 was $346,395. In 1880 it was $350,-
573. The rate of taxation m the latter year was 13 mills on the dollar.
The population in 1870 was 1,472. In 1880 it was 1,281.

Canada Road, a post-office in Somerset County.

Canton is the most easterly town in Oxford County. It
is about 6 miles in width at the middle, and its greatest length is,
north and south, ahout 9 miles. From west to east, through the
midst, flows the Androscoggin in a zigzag course. In its great southern
bend at the centre of the town is Canton Point village and post-office.
On the southern side, at this point, the Androscoggin receives Whitney
Brook, the outlet of Whitney Pond, which occupies a portion of the
south-western area of the town. At a fine water-power on the outlet
near the pond is Canton village and post-office. Here are Canton
Mills, consisting of a saw-mill manufacturing short lumber, a shook
and stave mill, and a grist-mill. Other manufactories are the steam-
mill of the Canton Steam Mill Company, a carriage and zinc wash-board
factory, a foundry, a furniture and moulding factory, a tannery, the Den-
nison Paper Manufacturing Company, and several small establishments.

The surface of the outskirts of the town is quite uneven, while the
centre is smooth and level. Along the river and Whitney Pond and
Brook is much fine interval, and the town is not surpassed by any for
agricultural purposes. At Canton Point, the Rockomeko of the Indians,
there is a large and. beautiful tract of interval, which, at its first
occupation by white people, showed the hills which usually mark
long-forsaken cornfield is. The mountain situated north of the point wps
also-called by the Indians “Rockomeko.” The tribe which inhabited
here were probably a clan of the Pequakets, whose principal residence
was Fryeburg. The Rockomekos were entirely exterminated by the
small pox, during the war with the French and Indians, in 1757.
Implements such as they used have frequently been turned out of the
soil at this point, and a burying ground, containing many of their
skeletons, has also come to light.

Whitney Pond received its name from a hunter who had been
wounded by the savages and left for dead, but had revived and crawled
to a camp beside the pond. His companions, while in search of him,
came upon the camp, and supposing the figure they saw within to be
an Indian, they fired upon him, but on entering, found they had
killed their comrade.

The first efforts at settlement were made in 1790 or 1792. William
Livermore, William French, Joseph Coolidge and Alexander Shepherd
were among the earliest settlers. This township was included in the
tract which first became known as Phipp’s Canada. It was first in-
corporated as a part of Jay in 1795, but was set off and incorporated
under its present name February 5, 1821. It is 20 miles north-
east of Paris, about 60 miles north of Portland, and 25 miles north
north-west of Lewiston and Auburn. It is the terminus of Rumford
Falls and Buckfield Railroad.

Canton has Baptist, Free Baptist and Universalist societies, all of
which have good chureh-edifices. The number of public schoolhouses