Canton is a city in McPherson County,

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 685. It is named after

Canton, Ohio Canton () is a city in Stark County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, eighth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 70,872 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Canton–Massillo ...

.History of Canton; City of Canton.
/ref>

History

Early history

For many

millennia A millennium () is a period of one thousand years, one hundred decades, or ten centuries, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting p ...

, the

Great Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of plain, flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include th ...

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

was inhabited by

nomadic Nomads are communities without fixed habitation who regularly move to and from areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the population of nomadic pa ...

Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the

Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the Middle Ages, medieval and Early modern France, early modern period. It was one of the most powerful states in Europe from th ...

claimed ownership of large parts of

. In 1762, after the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

, France secretly ceded

New France New France (, ) was the territory colonized by Kingdom of France, France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Kingdom of Great Br ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau.

19th century

In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile

Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase () was the acquisition of the Louisiana (New France), territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. This consisted of most of the land in the Mississippi River#Watershed, Mississipp ...

for 2.83 cents per

acre The acre ( ) is a Unit of measurement, unit of land area used in the Imperial units, British imperial and the United States customary units#Area, United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one Chain (unit), ch ...

. From the 1820s to the 1870s, one of the most significant land routes in the United States was the

Santa Fe Trail The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century route through central North America that connected Franklin, Missouri, with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1821 by William Becknell, who departed from the Boonslick region along the Missouri River, the ...

. It was located southeast of Canton. Two DAR markers were located on the trail near Canton, one at the Jones Cemetery east of Canton, and another south of Canton. The trail was active across McPherson County from 1821 to 1866. In 1854, the

Kansas Territory The Territory of Kansas was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until January 29, 1861, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the United States, Union as the Slave and ...

was organized, then in 1861

became the 34th U.S. state. In 1867, McPherson County was established within the

, which included the land for modern day Canton. As early as 1875, city leaders of Marion held a meeting to consider a branch railroad from

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

. In 1878,

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the largest Class 1 railroads in the United States between 1859 and 1996. The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight transport; at vario ...

and parties from Marion and McPherson counties chartered the Marion and McPherson Railway Company.''Marion County Kansas : Past and Present''; Sondra Van Meter; MB Publishing House; LCCN 72-92041; 344 pages; 1972. In 1879, a branch line was built from Florence to McPherson; in 1880 it was extended to

Lyons Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

and in 1881 was extended to Ellinwood. The line was leased and operated by the

. The line from Florence to Marion was abandoned in 1968.Railway Abandonment 1968
/ref> In 1992, the line from Marion to McPherson was sold to Central Kansas Railway. In 1993, after heavy flood damage, the line from Marion through Canton to McPherson was abandoned and removed. The original branch line connected Florence, Marion,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, Hillsboro, Lehigh, Canton, Galva, McPherson,

Conway Conway may refer to: Places United States * Conway, Arkansas * Conway County, Arkansas * Lake Conway, Arkansas * Conway, Florida * Conway, Iowa * Conway, Kansas * Conway, Louisiana * Conway, Massachusetts * Conway, Michigan * Conway Townshi ...

, Windom, Little River, Mitchell, Lyons, Chase and Ellinwood. After the railroad was built through the area in 1879, a village was established that grew to over 300 inhabitants, then was incorporated as a city in 1880 and named after

because an early settler came from Ohio. In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a main line from Herington through Canton to Pratt. In 1888, this line was extended to Liberal. Later, it was extended to Tucumcari, New Mexico and

El Paso, Texas El Paso (; ; or ) is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States. The 2020 United States census, 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the List of ...

. It foreclosed in 1891 and taken over by Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway, which shut down in 1980 and reorganized as Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad, merged in 1988 with

Missouri Pacific Railroad The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers. In 1967, the railroad o ...

, merged in 1997 with

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad is a Railroad classes, Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United Stat ...

. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Rock Island".

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Area attractions

* Canton is the site of the McPherson County Fairgrounds. The McPherson County Fair has been held in Canton since 1948. * Six miles north of Canton on 27th Avenue and one half-mile west on Pueblo Rd is the Maxwell Wildlife Refuge. In fact, Canton has been identified as the "Gateway to Maxwell Wildlife Refuge." This section of land is preserved natural prairie, comprising rolling hills, creeks, springs, and beautiful prairie grasses and wildflowers. Here 200 head of

bison A bison (: bison) is a large bovine in the genus ''Bison'' (from Greek, meaning 'wild ox') within the tribe Bovini. Two extant taxon, extant and numerous extinction, extinct species are recognised. Of the two surviving species, the American ...

and 50 elk roam free. It was established in 1859 by John Gault Maxwell to allow future generations to experience Kansas as it was in the 1800s, prior to settlement. This refuge is owned and managed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. * Canton has two

water tower A water tower is an elevated structure supporting a water tank constructed at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system, distribution system for potable water, and to provide emergency storage for fire protection. Water towe ...

s, labeled "HOT" (in red) and "COLD" (in blue). The words were painted on as a tourist attraction in 1956 at the suggestion of local real estate agent Mrs. M.D. Fisher. In fact, both tanks hold water at an ambient temperature.

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 685 people, 283 households, and 185 families in Canton. The population density was 1,378.3 per square mile (532.2/km). There were 316 housing units at an average density of 635.8 per square mile (245.5/km). The racial makeup was 95.04% (651)

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

European American European Americans are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes both people who descend from the first European settlers in the area of the present-day United States and people who descend from more recent European arrivals. Since th ...

(93.58%

non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

), 1.02% (7)

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

, 0.44% (3) Native American or

Alaska Native Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...

, 0.15% (1) Asian, 0.0% (0)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians; , , , and ) are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, Indigenous Polynesians, Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiʻi was set ...

, 0.15% (1) from other races, and 3.21% (22) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race was 2.19% (15) of the population. Of the 283 households, 30.4% had children under the age of 18; 47.3% were married couples living together; 20.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 29.3% of households consisted of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.5 and the average family size was 2.9. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 12.4% of the population. 24.2% of the population was under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 92.9 males. The 2016-2020 5-year

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimates show that the median household income was $56,875 (with a margin of error of +/- $8,122) and the median family income was $65,268 (+/- $13,079). Males had a median income of $28,643 (+/- $5,612) versus $26,296 (+/- $2,299) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $27,097 (+/- $2,476). Approximately, 0.0% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 0.0% of those under the age of 18 and 2.8% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 748 people, 301 households, and 205 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 336 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.9%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.4%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.3%

, 0.3% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.9% of the population. There were 301 households, of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.9% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age in the city was 37.9 years. 25.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.3% were from 25 to 44; 25.8% were from 45 to 64; and 16.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 829 people, 315 households, and 230 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 342 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.71%

, 0.24%

(two people), 0.12% Native American, 0.36% Asian (three people), 0.12%

(1 Native Hawaiian), and 1.45% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.72% of the population. There were 315 households, out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% were

living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.94. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $34,808, and the median income for a family was $45,357. Males had a median income of $30,556 versus $20,588 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $16,428. About 4.2% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the

, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The Canton consists of a mayor and five council members. The council meets once a month.City Council; City of Canton.
/ref> * City Hall, 100 South Main St.

Education

The community is served by Canton-Galva USD 419 public school district. This school district includes: * Canton-Galva Elementary School, located in Canton * Canton-Galva Middle School, located in Galva * Canton-Galva High School, located in Canton Canton and Galva schools unified in 1972 forming Canton-Galva High School with the Eagles mascot. Prior to unification, the Canton High School mascot was Canton Tigers.

Media

Print

* '' Hillsboro Free Press'', free newspaper for greater Marion County area. * '' McPherson Sentinel'', regional newspaper from McPherson. * '' The Salina Journal'', regional newspaper from Salina.

Infrastructure

Utilities

* Internet ** Wireless is provided by Pixius Communications. ** Satellite is provided by HughesNet, StarBand, WildBlue. * TV ** Satellite is provided by

DirecTV DirecTV, LLC is an American Multichannel television in the United States, multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital Satellite television, s ...

Dish Network DISH Network L.L.C., often referred to as DISH, an abbreviation for Digital Sky Highway, is an American provider of satellite television and IPTV services and wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation. The company was originally establ ...

. ** Terrestrial is provided by regional

digital TV Digital television (DTV) is the transmission of television signals using digital encoding, in contrast to the earlier analog television technology which used analog signals. At the time of its development it was considered an innovative adv ...

stations. * Electricity ** City is provided by Westar Energy. * Gas ** Service is provided by Kansas Gas Service. * Water ** City is provided by City of Canton. ** Rural is provided by Marion County RWD #4. * Sewer ** Service is provided by City of Canton. * Trash ** Service is provided by McPherson Area Solid Waste Utility.

Popular culture

On July 21, 2008,

Stephen Colbert Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...

made a comment on ''

The Colbert Report ''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late night television, late-night Late-night talk show, talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December ...

'' about John McCain making a campaign stop in

, and "not the crappy Canton in Georgia." The comment resulted in a local uproar, which prompted Stephen to apologize for the story during his July 30, 2008, show, insisting that he was incorrect and that the "real" crappy Canton was Canton, Kansas, after which he made several jokes at the town's expense. Reaction from Mayor Brad Smiley and local residents was negative and Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius invited Colbert to "spend a night" in Canton's historic jail. On August 5, 2008, Colbert apologized to citizens of Canton, Kansas, then continued the

running gag A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are no ...

by directing his mock derision in successive weeks towards Canton, South Dakota and Canton, Texas. On October 28, Colbert turned his attention back to Canton, Ohio after

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

made a campaign stop there, forcing Colbert to find it "crappy".

References

External links

*
Canton - Directory of Public Officials
League of Kansas Municipalities
Historic Images of Canton
Special Photo Collections at Wichita State University Library.
Topo Map of Canton / Galva / Roxbury area
USGS {{Authority control Cities in Kansas Cities in McPherson County, Kansas 1879 establishments in Kansas Populated places established in 1879