Canton dates to 1825, and 31% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 89% of U.S. towns · #91 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Its Register listings are the Ulysses G. Orendorff House, the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Station and the Parlin Library. Its Register listings are the Ulysses G. Orendorff House, the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Station and the Parlin Library. Below: 11 old photos and papers, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1840.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1826.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Canton’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Canton is more historic than 89% of U.S. towns, #91 of 768 in Illinois. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Canton’s overall grade.
Few Illinois towns list much on the Register (a typical Illinois town has 0.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Canton’s 2.3 sits above most of its state (67% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 3 listings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.1 points). Two sources give 1825.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Canton’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
Canton was founded in 1825 by settler Isaac Swan, who believed his new town and Canton, China, were antipodes.
Swan, his infant child, and three other people died in a devastating tornado in June 1835. "Isaac Swan and his child were found in the wreckage of their cabin, the baby dying in its mother's arms," leading some to conclude that the tornado represented divine retribution for the city allowing a circus performance the previous week. The city was hit by another tornado, this one an F-3, on July 23, 1975. Two people were killed, and the storm, deemed the 1975 Canton Tornado, caused major damage to the downtown area.
On September 13, 1967, Los Angeles rock band The Doors played a concert at Canton High School.
John Thorp was appointed both Constable and Collector, " and," says the ordinance, "shall give bail for both offices for the sum of one thousand dollars." Lathrop W. Curtis was "appointed Supervisor of Highways for the Town of Canton, and to be entitled to the sum of two dollars for every day spent in that ca-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Fulton county, Illinois1879 · page 1015Read the page →
Read the text
The question of moving the county seat from Lewistown to Canton began to be agitated in July of 1878. On Monday and Tuesday, August 5 and 6, the county was canvassed by men from Canton and other places, for signers to a petition praying for an election on the removal of the connty seat to Canton. There were secured to this petition 7,131 names. It was presented to the Probate Court Sept. 18, 1878, and the Judge called an election to vote for or against the removal, fixing the time a week later than the regular Novend)cr
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Fulton county, Illinois1879 · page 1014Read the page →
Read the text
Prior to the days of railroads in this part of the State plank roads and turnpikes were built on the main traveled routes to the principal towns, generally those situated upon the river. The Canton & Liverpool Plank Koad was started from Liverpool to Canton in 1850. The road was constructed principally hy Canton merchants, business men at Liverpool, and farmers in the vicinity of the road. The distance from the Public Square in Canton to Liverpool was 13 miles, about IJ niiles of which is bottom land. The
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Canton, 1825 to 1980
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
In 1825, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Canton’s post office opened in 1826, and the census of 1840 counted 762 people here.
How does Canton rank for history?
Canton is more historic than 89% of U.S. towns, #91 of 768 in Illinois. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Canton?
Three places: the Ulysses G. Orendorff House (listed 1971), the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Station (1993) and the Parlin Library (1994).
How old are the homes in Canton?
31% of Canton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.1 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1958.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (23), the Library of Congress (1), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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