The Canton Historical Society and Museum

Canton, officially the Charter Township of Canton, is a charter township of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the township had a population of 98,659.

Canton Township is Michigan's second most-populated township (after Clinton Township) and ninth most-populated municipality overall. The township is ranked as the 96th highest-income place in the United States with a population of 50,000 or more and is also consistently ranked as one of the safest cities in the state and nation. In 2015, the township was ranked as the 29th safest city in the United States.

Communities

*Canton is an unincorporated community within the township, although the name often refers to the whole township itself. It is located just south of M-153 (Ford Road) at . The Canton post office, first established in 1852, serves an area conterminous with the township itself—using the 48187 ZIP code north of Cherry Hill Road and the 48188 ZIP Code to the south.
* Cherry Hill is a historic locale in the west of the township at at the intersection of Cherry Hill Road and Ridge Road. It is the site of a new urbanist neighborhood with architecture that is supposed to be reminiscent of what Canton was like a hundred years ago. It is located on a rise over a branch of the Lower River Rouge. It is now the site of a theatre, the Village Theater.
*Sheldon or Sheldon's Corners is a historic locale in the south of the township on U.S. Highway 12 just west of Interstate 275 at . It is named after Timothy F. Sheldon who purchased lands there in 1825. The Sheldons built a Greek Revival home on their land, and the building, the Sheldon Inn, almost immediately became an inn, serving the influx of travelers and settlers spreading westward from Detroit.

History

Earlier, on October 20, 1829, the legislature had passed a bill creating the townships of Lima and Richland out of Bucklin Township. Governor Lewis Cass returned the acts unapproved, citing a conflict under the law. The names conflicted with post offices in existence, contrary to a territorial law from April 12, 1827, prohibiting incorporation of a new township bearing the same name as any existing post office. The legislature thus had to substitute the names of Nankin and Pekin after the cities of Nanjing (Nanking) and Beijing (Peking) in China. The name of Pekin was extinguished when it was renamed Redford in 1833.

The Township of Canton was created by act of the Michigan Territorial Legislature on March 7, 1834 out of a southern portion of Plymouth Township. It was named in honor of the port and provincial capital known historically as Canton, Imperial China, known today from the pinyin standard as Guangzhou.

The first meeting to organize the township was held in April 1834.

In the summer of 2002, the emerald ash borer was discovered in Canton, eventually infesting the Great Lakes region.

The Canton Historical Society and Museum opened in 1982 in a one-roomed schoolhouse.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which is land and (0.08%) is water.

It is located about west of the city limits of Detroit and east of the city limits of Ann Arbor.

The south of the township is drained by the Lower River Rouge and its tributaries, including Pine Creek, which drains from the northwest corner to the southeast. The northeast is drained by Tonquish Creek and Garden Creek, which are tributaries of the Middle River Rouge.

Economy

Top employers

According to the Charter Township's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

The publisher Visible Ink Press has its headquarters in Canton.

Transportation

Highways

*
*, named locally as Michigan Avenue
*, named locally as Ford Road

Airport

* Canton–Plymouth Mettetal Airport

Education

Canton Township is served by the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools (which serves the northern 2/3 portion of Canton), Wayne-Westland Community Schools (which serves the south-eastern portion of Canton) and Van Buren Public Schools (which serves the south-western portion of the township). P-CCS includes most of Canton Township, the city of Plymouth, Plymouth Township, and portions of Salem, Superior, and Northville Townships.

Schools

Wayne-Westland Community Schools

A portion is in Wayne-Westland Community SchoolsZoning Map

Archive
City of Canton. Retrieved on April 20, 2014. Most Wayne-Westland-zoned areas are zoned to Walker-Winter Elementary School in Canton. A small portion is zoned to Roosevelt-McGrath Elementary School in Wayne.

Some portions of the Wayne-Westland section of Canton are zoned to Adams Upper Elementary School in Westland, Franklin Middle School in Wayne, and Wayne Memorial High School in Wayne. Other portions are zoned to Marshall Upper Elementary School, Stevenson Middle School in Westland, John Glenn High School, all in Westland.

Plymouth-Canton Community Schools

A portion is in the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools.
*Bentley Elementary School
*Bird Elementary School
*Canton High School *
*Discovery Middle School
*Dodson Elementary School
*East Middle School
*Eriksson Elementary School
*Farrand Elementary School
*Field Elementary School
*Gallimore Elementary School
*Hoben Elementary School
*Hulsing Elementary School
*Isbister Elementary School
*Liberty Middle School
*Miller Elementary School
*Pioneer Middle School
*Plymouth High School *
*Salem High School *
*Smith Elementary School
*Starkweather Center (Alternative education)
*Tanger Center (Alternative education)
*Tonda Elementary School
*West Middle School
*Workman Elementary School

(* Part of the Plymouth-Canton Educational Park)

Public charter schools

*Canton Charter Academy
*Achieve Charter Academy
*South Canton Scholars Charter Academy
*Plymouth Scholars Charter Academy
*Canton Preparatory High School

Private schools

*All Saints Catholic School
*Plymouth Christian Academy
*Plymouth Canton Montessori
*Crescent Academy International
*Banyan Montessori Academy

Further education

*Michigan Institute of Aviation and Technology

Crime

In 2015, Canton was ranked as the 29th safest city in the U.S.

Demographics

The U.S. Census Bureau also defined Canton Township as a census-designated place (CDP) at the 2000 Census so that the community would appear on the list of places (like cities and villages) as well on the list of county subdivisions (like other townships). The final statistics for the township and the CDP were identical.

As of the census of 2010, there were 90,173 people, 32,771 households, and 24,231 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 34,829 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 72.2% White, 10.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 14.1% Asian (8.0% Indian, 2.2% Chinese, 0.7% Filipino), 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.7% from other races, and 1.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.1% of the population.

There were 27,490 households, out of which 42.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.4% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.26. The median household price was $239,900 according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 American Community Survey estimates.

In the township the population was spread out, with 29.0% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 34.9% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 5.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.

According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the township was $82,669, and the median income for a family was $95,267. Males had a median income of $61,570 versus $35,615 for females. The per capita income for the township was $28,609. About 2.9% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Precious Adams, ballet dancer who was born and raised in Canton
* Andrew Bazzi, Singer-Songwriter
* Kyle Brindza, American football placekicker, played for the Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and New York Jets
* Brian Calhoun, back-up running back for the Detroit Lions
* Paul Cotter, American professional ice hockey forward
* Alex Foster, American professional ice hockey forward player
* Michael Jordan, collegiate football player for Ohio State and current member of the Carolina Panthers
* Robert L. McKenzie, also known as Bobby McKenzie, a domestic and foreign policy analyst, public commentator, and scholar of the Middle East and North Africa. He is a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution, a former Democratic nominee for Michigan's 11th congressional district, and a former Senior Advisor at the US Department of State.
* Nathan Perkovich, forward for the Medvescak Zagreb of KHL and Albany Devils of AHL; grew up in Canton
* Nate Robertson, former MLB pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, and Philadelphia Phillies
* Matt Roy, professional ice hockey player
* Allison Schmitt, Olympic gold medalist swimmer in 2012 Summer Olympics and 2016 Summer Olympics; Team USA swim captain
* Jason Stollsteimer, vocalist and guitarist of the band The Von Bondies, attended Plymouth-Canton Educational Park
*Emily Turner, professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association
* Charles Williams (ice hockey), professional hockey player
* James Wisniewski, defenseman for the Carolina Hurricanes; previously with Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Islanders, and Montreal Canadiens; born in Canton

Gallery

Image:Village Theater Canton Twp. Michigan.JPG, The Village Theater
Image:Canton Twp. Fire Rescue Truck.JPG, Canton Twp. Fire Rescue Truck
Image:Cherry Hill United Methodist Church Canton Twp. Michigan.JPG, Cherry Hill United Methodist Church, erected 1882
Image:Cherry Hill School Canton Twp. Michigan.JPG, Cherry Hill School
Image:Bronze statue Cherry Hill School.JPG, Bronze statue, Cherry Hill School
Image:Cherry Hill School historical marker.JPG, Cherry Hill School historical marker
Image:canton township gurudwara sahib temple.JPG, Gurudwara Sahib Sikh Temple, Canton Center Rd.

References

External links

*
Canton Historical SocietyCanton Township
in ''History of Detroit and Wayne County and early Michigan'', Farmer, Silas, 1839–1902.

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Townships in Wayne County, Michigan
Charter townships in Michigan
Metro Detroit
1834 establishments in Michigan Territory
Populated places established in 1834
Former census-designated places in Michigan