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FIPS code. 25-11315. GNIS feature ID. 0619457. Website. www.town.canton.ma.us. Canton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 24,370 at the 2020 census. Canton is part of Greater Boston, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of Downtown Boston .
Jun 5, 2017 · It’s a question that shouldn’t be too difficult to answer — one might think. But while recently sleuthing and endeavoring to learn more about the old iron bridge that inspired Canton’s name, this so-called engineer/historian has uncovered a host of conflicting facts, dates, and fanciful tales.
Jul 10, 2024 · Canton, town (township), Norfolk county, eastern Massachusetts, U.S., lying just south of Boston along the Neponset River. Settled in 1650, it was known by its Algonquian name, Punkapoag, and was part of Stoughton.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Canton earned its name in 1797 due to the early belief that Canton, China was on the exact opposite side of the earth. In 1801, Paul Revere chose Canton to be home to the nation’s first copper rolling mill.
Canton has a significant place in American history. Originally settled by the Ponkapoag tribe of Native Americans, the area became known as Ponkapoag Plantation. In 1630, European settlers arrived and established the town of Dedham, which included present-day Canton.
Oct 24, 2021 · In 1726, Stoughton, Massachusetts split from the large original territory of Dorchester; then on February 23, 1797, Canton was officially incorporated from the territory of Stoughton. The name "Canton" was suggested by Elijah Dunbar and comes from a belief that Canton, China was antipodal to it.
In “Haskell’s Historical Guide Book of Somerville, Massachusetts,” Albert L. Haskell writes that the town originally was going to go by the name Walford after its first settler, Thomas Walford.
