Canton, Missouri facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Canton, Missouri
City
Downtown on Fourth Street
Location of Canton, Missouri
Country	United States
State	Missouri
County	Lewis
Area
• Total	2.59 sq mi (6.70 km2)
• Land	2.29 sq mi (5.92 km2)
• Water	0.30 sq mi (0.78 km2)
Elevation	509 ft (155 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,774
• Density	1,214.00/sq mi (468.76/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP code	63435
Area code(s)	573
FIPS code	29-11134
GNIS feature ID	2393734

Canton is a city located in Lewis County, Missouri, in the United States. In 2020, about 2,774 people lived there. Canton is well-known as the home of Culver-Stockton College, a small college linked to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). For many years, it also had the oldest continuously running ferry across the Mississippi River, which stopped operating in 2014. Several important people who served in the United States House of Representatives came from Canton. They are buried in the city's Forest Grove Cemetery. Canton is part of the Quincy, Illinois-Missouri area.

History of Canton

High school

The city of Canton was founded in 1830. This was three years before Lewis County was even created! It is thought to be named after Canton, Ohio. Three people, Issac Bland, Robert Sinclair, and Edward White, founded the town. Edward White built the very first home in February 1830, which also served as Canton's first business: a tavern.

For its first 20 years, Canton faced competition from a nearby village called Tully. Tully was founded in 1834, just a mile north of Canton. It had a better spot for steamboats to dock and unload goods. This slowed Canton's early growth. However, a series of floods, especially a big one in 1851, destroyed much of Tully. The last parts of Tully disappeared in the 1930s when Lock and Dam No. 20 was built.

Lock & Dam No. 20, where Tully used to be.

Canton was on slightly higher ground but still close to the river. After Tully was gone, Canton grew very quickly. By 1860, over 2,000 people lived there. The town officially became a city on January 28, 1851.

Ferry service across the Mississippi River started around Canton in 1844, first at Tully. In 1853, a special permission was given for the "Lewis-Adams" river ferry. Early ferries were paddlewheel boats powered by horses walking on treadmills. Many local people and those traveling west used the ferry. It cost 50 cents for a wagon and 10 cents for people walking. Before railroads were common, Canton became a major trading and shipping center. It served towns and counties in northeast Missouri. A stagecoach line even ran from Canton all the way to Kirksville, about 80 miles away, before the American Civil War.

Henderson Hall overlooks Canton from "The Hill."

Another important event in Canton's history was the founding of "Christian University" in 1853. Today, this is known as Culver-Stockton College. The college closed during the Civil War but reopened in 1865. It has been a key part of the community ever since. Henderson Hall, also called "Old Main," on the Culver-Stockton campus, is a historic building.

Because it was a strategic river port, Canton was very involved in the Civil War. People in the town had mixed loyalties, supporting both the Union and Confederate sides. Both armies tried to recruit soldiers from Canton. In July 1861, Union troops came to Canton to stop local unrest and prevent people from joining the Confederate side. On August 2, 1862, Confederate forces raided Canton. They took weapons, medicine, and other supplies.

Flooding in Canton in June 2008. The river reached its second-highest level ever at Canton.

After the war, Canton continued to be a gateway for farming in northeast Missouri. Many businesses helped with farming needs. Pork processing started in the 1840s. By the late 1870s, thousands of hogs were processed there. Other items made in Canton in the 1800s included iron plows, wagons, corn planters, and buttons made from mussel shells from the river.

Rail service came to Canton in 1871 with the St. Louis, Keokuk & Northwestern Railroad. While the Mississippi River has been vital to Canton, it has also caused problems. Major floods have happened many times. Some big floods were in 1851, 1929, 1973, 1993, and 2008. The 1929 flood happened when a levee broke. Within an hour, two square miles of the town were underwater, including over 200 homes. Luckily, no lives were lost.

During the New Deal era, an artist named Jessie Hull Mayer painted a mural for the Canton post office. Her mural, Winter Landscape, was put up in 1940. It has been restored twice, in 1971 and 2005.

After World War II, downtown Canton still flooded sometimes. But a bigger and stronger levee built in the 1960s largely stopped this. Because of the new levee, the Mississippi Flood of 1973, the Great Flood of 1993, and the June 2008 Midwest floods caused much less damage in Canton than earlier floods.

In June 2013, a new "levee walk" and wetlands area were added to Canton's riverfront. This 2,000-foot trail offers a place for recreation and learning about the river and its wildlife.

Tornadoes have also affected Canton. Several small ones have touched down near the town, usually causing little damage. However, a large tornado hit Canton on May 10, 2003. It damaged about 100 buildings, with 40 of them severely. Only four people were injured. The Culver-Stockton College fieldhouse was almost completely destroyed. The dome on Henderson Hall was also ripped off.

Henderson Hall is one of three places in Canton listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The others are the Lock & Dam No 20 Historic District and the Lincoln School building. The Lincoln School was a school for African-American children from 1880 to 1955.

Geography of Canton

Canton is located in Lewis County, Missouri. The city has a total area of about 2.59 square miles (6.70 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 2.29 square miles (5.92 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.30 square miles (0.78 square kilometers), is water.

Population Information

Canton's Population in 2010

In 2010, the city of Canton had 2,377 people. There were 829 households and 493 families living there. The city had about 1,038 people per square mile.

Most of the people in Canton were White (92.0%). About 5.3% were African American. A small number were Native American (0.2%), Asian (0.5%), or Pacific Islander (0.2%). About 0.6% were from other races, and 1.3% were from two or more races. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up 1.8% of the population.

About 29.9% of households had children under 18 living with them. About 43.5% were married couples. The average household had 2.27 people, and the average family had 2.93 people.

The average age in Canton was 26.5 years. About 19.1% of residents were under 18. About 28.9% were between 18 and 24 years old.

Education in Canton

The Canton R-V School District runs one elementary school and Canton High School. The town also has a public library called the Canton Public Library, where you can borrow books.

Transportation

Burlington Trailways offers bus service to Canton. You can take a bus from Canton to places like Cedar Rapids or St. Louis.

Notable People from Canton

Many interesting people have come from Canton, Missouri:

• James G. Blair: He was a congressman for Missouri.
• James S. Green: He served as a congressman, a U.S. senator, and a diplomat.
• Frederick Hibbard: A famous sculptor from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
• James Tilghman Lloyd: He was a congressman for ten terms and a leader in the House of Representatives.
• Frank C. Millspaugh: Another congressman and a state finance commissioner.
• David Moore: A Union Army general and a Missouri state senator.
• Skip Williamson: An underground artist.

Images for kids

• 

  Downtown on Fourth Street

• 

  Location of Canton, Missouri

• 

  High school

• 

  Lock & Dam No. 20, where Tully used to be.

• 

  Henderson Hall overlooks Canton from "The Hill."

• 

  Flooding in Canton in June 2008. The river reached its second-highest level ever at Canton.

See also

In Spanish: Canton (Misuri) para niños