Canton Township MPS

Early History and Settlement

Although lands around Detroit had been settled since the early 18th century, it took considerably longer for interior parts of Michigan to attract settlers. After the American Revolution, the United States began plans to expand into what was then the Northwest Territory. However, the British still held onto some trading posts in the area, and the Native Americans still held legal title to most of Michigan. The War of 1812 removed the British from the area, and a series of treaties with area tribes removed most obstacles to settlement.

However, it was commonly believed that the interior of Michigan was of poor quality: Edward Tiffin, surveyor general of the United States in the 1810s, reported that the area consisted primarily of swamps, likes, and poor sandy soil. Thus, most early settlers headed for more southerly (and more easily accessible) lands near the Ohio River, and surveying in Michigan wasn't begun until 1815.

Eventually, settlers (primarily from New York and New England) made it into the area. The first purchasers of land in Canton Township were Philander and Samuel Burd, who filed on May 30, 1825. A week later, Timothy Sheldon (builder of the Sheldon Inn) and Lucretia Downer purchased property; by the end of 1825 thirteen people had settled in the township. The opening of the Erie Canal in October 1825 made the journey to Michigan easier and spurred settlement in Michigan. Land purchases in Canton Township peaked in 1833, and all but 14 of the 328 parcels were sold by 1836. By the 1840 census, the population of Canton Township was 1081.

Many families whose houses are included in this MPS were among the first wave of settlers purchasing property in Canton. Timothy Sheldon built his Sheldon Inn in 1825 shortly after he arrived in the area. Moses Bradford (Benjamin's brother) also arrived in 1825, and John Patterson arrived in 1826. Elisha Kinyon, Orrin's father, bought land in 1831; both Orrin Kinyon and Benjamin Bradford purchased their own farms in 1835. These families, as were the bulk of Canton's early settlers, traveled from New York and New England to Michigan.

Later History

A second wave of settlers arrived in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Unlike the first settlers from New England, this second wave consisted primarily of immigrants from Central Europe. Two houses built by German immigrants or their descendants, the Phillip and Maria Hasselbach Dingledey House and the John and Edna Truesdell Fischer Farmstead.

For the remainder of the century, the population of the area remained relatively stable, and farmland was passed from generation to generation. Whereas the early settlers engaged in subsistence farming, their descendants were able to turn farming into a business, with many going into the dairy business. In the twentieth century, farmers turned to market farming, delivering their produce and other goods to markets in Detroit and other area cities.

Architecture

Many of the early settlers in Canton Township were from New York and New England. These pioneers brought Greek Revival-style architecture with them and implemented it when they constructed their own houses. All pre-1865 houses on this MPS were originally constructed in the Greek Revival style, although one (the Thomas and Maria Blackman Bartlett House) was later updated with Victorian elements.

As the nineteenth century progressed, the local family farms prospered, and the farmers grew more affluent. This economic success was reflected in the increasing size and modernity of the houses built in Canton Township. Earlier houses were updated and/or enlarged as the residents were able to afford more space. At the same time, architectural styles changed, with later houses being of an upright and wing or gabled-ell design. Near the end of the century, typically Victorian house forms, Stick-Eastlake and Queen Anne were also used.