An important first step in understanding one of Canton’s oldest and least-known historic places took place this week at the Gridley Cemetery, (1764) where an archaeological team from the University of Massachusetts Boston conducted a preliminary assessment of the site. This work is being conducted under the direction of the Canton Historical Commission through a Community Preservation Grant. 
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On Friday, August 28, John M. Steinberg, Ph.D., Research Scientist with the Fiske Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Massachusetts Boston, accompanied by a graduate student, spent approximately an hour at the cemetery conducting a preliminary walk-through and testing the use of Ground Penetrating Radar, commonly known as GPR.

The purpose of the visit was straightforward but important: could GPR successfully help us understand what remains beneath the surface of the Gridley Cemetery? The early indications are encouraging.

Dr. Steinberg conducted a limited GPR scan to evaluate ground conditions and determine whether the technology is likely to produce useful archaeological information at the site. Based on this preliminary work, we are pleased to report that the prospects for a successful investigation appear quite strong.

If plans proceed as anticipated, we hope a comprehensive archaeological and GPR survey can be undertaken in October 2026.

The Gridley Cemetery occupies approximately 2,304 square feet and represents an important surviving piece of Canton’s colonial landscape. Yet much about the cemetery has been lost to time. The locations of individual graves are largely unknown, gravestones may have disappeared or become buried, and the original organization of the burial ground is no longer readily apparent to someone visiting the property today. 

A comprehensive GPR investigation could begin to change that. Ground Penetrating Radar allows archaeologists to examine variations beneath the ground without excavation. For a historic cemetery, where respect for the people buried there and protection of the site are paramount, this non-invasive technology offers an especially valuable way to better understand the landscape.

The proposed investigation will seek to locate and map possible graves, estimate the number of burials within the cemetery, identify potential buried gravestones or other features, and provide a clearer understanding of how the cemetery was originally organized.

One particularly intriguing question involves Colonel Richard Gridley, the celebrated military engineer associated with the Battle of Bunker Hill and the first Chief Engineer of the Continental Army. Gridley was originally buried here before his remains were later removed to Canton Corner Cemetery. Archaeological evidence may help us better understand the location of his original burial site, although identifying a specific grave with certainty will prove difficult.

The investigation is also an essential part of the larger Gridley Cemetery Preservation Project.
Plans for the property include the installation of historically appropriate fencing and interpretive signage. Before undertaking those improvements, however, we need to know what lies beneath the ground. Fence posts and sign foundations must be located so that they do not inadvertently disturb graves or other archaeological resources. That is why the archaeological work comes first.

The information gathered through the survey will help create a preservation plan grounded in evidence rather than assumption. It will allow future improvements to respect both the historic landscape and the people whose final resting place this became centuries ago.

The project is being advanced as a historic preservation initiative utilizing Community Preservation Act funding, with the goal of protecting the site, documenting its archaeological resources, and ultimately making its history more understandable and accessible to the public.

Friday’s visit lasted only about an hour, but it represented something much larger: the beginning of an effort to scientifically document a place whose history has been hidden beneath the landscape for generations.

There is still considerable work ahead, and GPR does not magically provide names for every grave or answer every historical question. Archaeology is rarely that cooperative. What it can provide is evidence: patterns, anomalies, possible burial shafts, buried features, and a much clearer picture of how people used this small piece of land centuries ago.

If the full investigation takes place this October, we may soon have our first detailed archaeological picture of the Gridley Cemetery and a far better understanding of how to preserve it for generations to come.

The vision for a place that celebrates Canton’s history at the Paul Revere Heritage Site began with the Canton Historical Society and the Canton Historical Commission. 

Back in 2008, Wally Gibbs and George Comeau helped rally the effort to save two extraordinary pieces of our industrial past—the Revere & Son Rolling Mill and the Joseph Warren Revere Draft Horse Barn. When demolition loomed, community voices rose. In the face of mounting local pressure, developers and the Town ultimately negotiated a path that preserved these landmark buildings. That turning point helped pave the way for what is now truly a jewel in Canton’s crown.

The Society continued to play a role as the vision grew. In 2016, we supported early renderings imagining artisan workspaces and a restaurant at the site. And when the first preview room for the museum needed artifacts and stories to bring the space to life, it leaned heavily on treasures and narratives drawn from the Society’s own collections.

Fast forward nearly two decades and the momentum is undeniable. Today, the Society proudly supports the remarkable work of the Museum of Discovery and Innovation (MODI) at the Heritage Site. The bell that graces the exterior of the MODI, and the Hunneman Fire Pumper, are on loan to the Paul revere Heritage Site and serve as a goodwill gesture to the Town of Canton's vision for history and heritage. During a recent visit, our board toured the exhibits and interactive installations under the guidance of MODI director John Morton—and what we saw was nothing short of inspiring.

By every measure, MODI is a smashing success. In the spirit of innovation that defined Paul Revere himself, this extraordinary new museum promises to shape how our region tells its story for generations to come.
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The Canton Historical Society is deeply proud of the work unfolding at the Heritage Site—and we look forward with excitement to continuing as a partner in the remarkable chapters still to be written. If you have not visited this museum, please make plans soon! 

We are so pleased to report on the progress of the conservation and preservation of one Canton's hottest artifacts - the Hunneman Hand Tub - one of Canton's first fire engines.  This early piece of fire apparatus was built for Ponkapoag in 1829 and features copper from the Revere & Son Rolling Mill.

The subject of the project is an artifact that was built expressly for the town and delivered into service on August 26, 1829. Having survived over 196 years, the artifact is undergoing conservation and preservation in the hands of a seasoned and highly professional conservator in Pennsylvania who specializes in materials such as wood, metals and leather. It is critical to note that this is a preservation project as opposed to a “restoration” project. The goal is to stabilize and conserve this item so that it can be interpreted and enjoyed by the public for decades to come.

The project features a new wooden cradle under the original pump, removal of varnish with a specially formulated solvent, and the casting of a few parts that had been lost over the years. The project will be done by the end of September. Upon completion, the Hunneman will be on permanent loan to the Paul Revere Heritage - Museum of Discovery and Innovation. Attached are progress photos. Please note that this project is funded by the Community Preservation Act. 

Historical Record
The first recorded instance of a fire engine being located in the town of Canton, Massachusetts is a record from 1825.  Early records from the Hunneman Fire Engine Company of Roxbury, Massachusetts show that a fire engine was constructed and delivered to the Massapoag Woolen Mill, Canton, MA. At the time, the only known woolen mill was the Boston Manufacturing Company (The Stone Factory) located at the intersection of what is today Walpole and Neponset Streets. Number 104 – Massapoag Woolen Mill was delivered on February 19, 1825.
 
The first record found in Annual Town Meeting minutes referring to fire equipment was on April 6, 1829 under an article "to see if the town will vote to purchase one or more engines and to adopt any measures relative thereto." It was voted to appoint a committee of seven to inquire into the expenses of such an action and its desirability. The Committee reported in May that engines would cost $250 each; hose would be 62 1/2 cents per foot and couplings $2.50 per joint. They recommended forming three companies of twenty one "efficient" men each, the majority of whom would be exempt from militia service, that each company be permitted to purchase an engine, and that the Town Treasurer pay each company $200 for the engine. Any cost over the $200 would be contributed by the engine company itself.
 
Two engines were bought, one for Ponkapoag, and one, the Enterprise, for South Canton. In 1833 a third engine was purchased for the Canton Center station. At that time Canton Center was considered to be the area later known as Canton Corner, which was from Eliot street to Randolph Street. South Canton was then what we call today Canton Center and was also known then as "The Village."

Following the spring Town Meeting, the Hunneman company records show that two engines were received by the town on August 26, 1829. The two engines were delivered by ox cart and were numbered No. 132 (Ponkapoag No. 2) and No. 133 (Enterprise No. 3). Records show that the town paid $365.00 cash for No. 132 and $410.00 for No. 133. The overage may be attributed to the hoses and extras that were included with each of the machines.

Over the subsequent years from 1825 through 1891 the No. 132 was in use and moved between Ponkapoag and the fire station located at Canton Corner. In 1891, the Fire Engineers Report stated that there were still two hand engines, one at Ponkapoag and one at Canton Corner. The fire chief described them “things of the past and not worth scrap value.” The machine that we seek to conserve may have been stored in the basement of Memorial Hall sometime before February 1901. By 1907-1908 the town’s inventory of fire apparatus no longer indicates any hand-tubs at any of the town’s engine houses. The Canton Historical Society opened its headquarters building in 1911 and it is likely the Society took possession of the hand tub at that time.

While perhaps as many as five Hunneman fire engines were delivered to the Town of Canton over the years, the only surviving piece of equipment is No. 132. It is an earlier example and closely related to the hand tub that was used at the Revere Copper & Rolling Mill and the Kinsley Iron Works.
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Historical Association
William C. Hunneman was “an enterprising apprentice of Paul Revere.” Paul Revere operated his original foundry in Boston and Hunneman learned the trade of metallurgy and innovation under the eye of the master, Revere. In 1790 Hunneman founded his own business to furnish the necessary hardware to support the leading industries of the day, shipbuilding and clock making. Soon he started to make fire engines, and from 1792 to 1883, the company that bore his name furnished firefighting machines around the globe.

The name “hand tub” or “engine” derives its origin from the fact that the body is, actually, a tub design to hold water. Formed from sheets of copper, turned out by the Canton works of Paul Revere sheathe the bottom of ships, the fire engine was an oblong wooden box, lined with sheets of copper to seal in the water, and a pump was installed to force the water through hoses. The pressure of the hand tub could force water up to 125 feet and was used mainly to contain the spread of fire from neighboring buildings in the event of a fire

Owing to the historical connection to Paul Revere through the apprenticeship and the extreme likelihood that the foundry in Canton provided the copper for the hand tub, this project has a close affinity to the new Museum of Discovery and Innovation at the Paul Revere Heritage Site. The fire engine is a remarkable artifact that shows how the ingenuity, enterprise and scale of manufacturing touched and enabled several industries and the entrepreneurial spirit. The Canton Historical Society is a proud steward of this great artifact. 

The Canton Historical Society is thrilled to announce it has been awarded a significant grant from Meet Boston for its groundbreaking project, "Samuel Dunbar: The Unsung 'Eldest Son of Liberty' and Cornerstone of the Patriot Cause – Conserving and Digitizing American History - the Rev. Samuel Dunbar Diary." This vital funding will support several key initiatives, including educational materials, digital archiving, conservation of primary source material, and a special exhibition.

The grant will enable the Canton Historical Society to undertake the critical work of digitizing the original Samuel Dunbar Diary, a fragile and invaluable firsthand account of the work and service of Samuel Dunbar. This crucial project will ensure the long-term protection and preservation of this irreplaceable document, create a fully accessible digital text for researchers and the public, and provide for the essential archival cleaning and stabilization of this significant archival artifact.

Rev. Samuel Dunbar, known alternately as the "Son of Thunder" and the "Son of Consolation," played a pivotal, yet often understated, role as the "eldest Son of Liberty." He was an unwavering presence throughout the extraordinary events leading to the birth of our nation, offering solace during the darkest hours and leading celebrations in times of triumph. Living to witness the victory he so tirelessly sought, Dunbar's powerful voice echoed the spirit of the Revolution when he publicly read the Declaration of Independence from the pulpit in Stoughton, the town that would become Canton. The Dunbar Diary stands as a vital, firsthand account of this transformative era, chronicling not only his life and ministry but also offering invaluable insights into the burgeoning revolutionary fervor.

“We are incredibly grateful to Meet Boston for their generous support,” said George T. Comeau, President of the Canton Historical Society. “The Rev. Samuel Dunbar Diary is a cornerstone of our collection and a critical piece of American history. This grant will allow us to bring Dunbar’s story to a wider audience, ensuring that his profound contributions to the Patriot Cause are finally recognized and understood.” The grant is part of Meet Boston’s commitment to enhancing Greater Boston organizations' capacity to showcase the region's crucial role in the American Revolution during the Nation’s 250th commemoration.

The project encompasses a comprehensive conservation plan for the Dunbar Diary and the creation of a custom archival case to protect this document. In addition to the conservation efforts, the grant will facilitate the creation of a full digital archiving of the diary. The project will culminate in a public event highlighting the project and raising awareness of Dunbar’s rich history, followed by a recognition event hosted jointly by the Canton Historical Society and the Stoughton Historical Society. A special public exhibition highlighting Samuel Dunbar's Diary and the life of this foundational patriot is also planned.
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Comeau added that “by safeguarding and sharing the Samuel Dunbar Diary, the Canton Historical Society will illuminate the profound contributions of this foundational patriot and deepen our understanding of the local and national forces and people that forged the United States of America.”

Close to sixty attendees joined in reminiscing the events that transpired in Canton during the Blizzard of '78. It was an afternoon in which we recalled those that died during the disaster as well as those that selflessly helped both strangers and neighbors. We also got a closer understanding of how emergency planning and preparedness has changed as a result of the "storm of the century.   

Bread Pudding and hot chocolate were served and the crowd was delighted. Special thanks to Ashley Bell and Carol Munson for producing this most popular program. 

The Society held a rare presentation that featured the firearms and swords from our collection. George Wilson shared information about our revolutionary muskets and rifles. We also learned about our significant swords and other military curiosities. The Society has been collecting itesm since 1871, and the firearms collection will soon undergo a preservation plan that will help restore and preserve these unique and valuable items. 

This recent Sunday, affection filled the atmosphere at the Canton Historical Society’s enchanting “Vintage Valentines & Love Letters” affair. We united to commemorate LOVE - witnessing familiar faces and forging new friendships was truly heartening. The enchanting tunes of classic love ballads by legendary artists such as Etta James and Billie Holiday provided the perfect ambiance. Our taste buds were delighted with scrumptious, freshly baked donuts from Country Kitchen in Walpole, courtesy of George and Patti.

Individuals of all ages from the community joined in and crafted beautiful expressions of affection. We exchanged tales, discovered each other’s passions, shared laughter, and, as always, delved into the rich historical archives of Canton.

In addition to our vintage-inspired tokens of love, we had the privilege of showcasing 19th-century valentines graciously loaned to us by The Bright family, alongside two exquisite Draper portraits generously donated to the Society by Kristen Draper. The new portraits will become part of an ever burgeoning collection dedicated to the Draper Family in Canton. 

As the day came to a close, it was evident that love transcends all boundaries in Canton. We extend our gratitude to everyone who participated, and eagerly anticipate many more opportunities to gather as a community, united by love from Canton.

The Canton Historical Society in partnership with the Canton Public Library is pleased to announce the launch of the Huntoon Digital Catalog. Drawing together the work of more than ten years of cataloging thousands of items in the Society collection, Huntoon is emerging as an unparalleled resource for Canton’s history.
 
For the first time since 1871 the general public can access the digital collections of the Society. The “Histy” as it is affectionately known, has been collecting Canton's History since 1871, and was chartered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1893. The collection begins with artifacts from the late 1600's through today. Highlights of the collection include a strong understanding of industry, military conflicts and daily life in Canton, Massachusetts.  As a non-profit museum, archives and educational institution dedicated to preserving Canton’s history and place, the Histy is the source for so many rich parts of our story.
 
The jointly funded catalog features public access to over 7000 photographs, glass plate negatives, and slides. More than 900 detailed maps and plans as well as thousands of artifacts have been included. Most importantly there are over 8000 pages of printed records that includes family letters, diaries, public records and notes that date to as early as 1656 through today.
 
“We are proud to launch Huntoon as a way to connect the town and the community of scholars to our rich collection” said George Comeau, president of the Society. “The material that we are sharing is rich and diverse and spans over three and half centuries of our place here in the shadow of Blue Hill. More importantly, the partnership with the library will allow both institutions to draw closer as we help share and interpret this material for residents and scholars alike.”
 
Huntoon is named after one of Canton’s most pre-eminent historians, Daniel T.V. Huntoon who authored the first definitive history of the town. The public can access and browse the catalog on the web at CantonHistorical.org.

We gathered at the Annual Meeting of the Canton Historical Society on a beautiful autumn day, Slashes of sunlight cut through the windows of the Histy and people gathered as they have for more that 125 years. Today was different. Today the tone was somber as a lone Celtic violinist punctuated the room with Irish aires. George Comeau spoke, and a hush fell across the room. The Society paid homage and tribute to Paul "Mitch" Mitcheroney, our recently departed President. 

George spoke of the gifts Paul’s ancestors gave to our community (The Capen Family) some of which were – Guardian of the Ponkapoag Indians, started the Canton Lyceum – which became the Canton Public Library, Tavern Keepers, and members of the First Parish Church. As Postmaster, Nahum Capen introduced the outside letterbox collection system, the first such system in the US. Postal Service in 1857. From this true Canton family, we find Paul in line of descendants, and what Paul left behind as his legacy is a greater appreciation for history and heritage of Canton. Paul also left several gifts and one such item from his family history a chair, which was said to be from the Richard Gridley Estate as well as several family photo and albums.

Paul was a friendly and kind man who was at the center of his family. Canton lost a dear friend with his passing after a long illness. The Society was named as a memorial gift in memory of Paul, and the membership approved the creation of the Paul Mitcheroney Scholarship Fund. In passing the gifts forward, the Society hopes to support young women and men that are graduating from Canton High School and plan of pursuing college degrees in the areas of public service, political science or history. In a wonderful and lasting gesture, members of Paul's family will serve on the selection committee that will choose the worthy scholar each year. The first scholarship is expected to be awarded in 2024. 

This annual meeting also conducted the business of reorganizing the Society. The Secretary presented a proposed ballot which nominated George T. Comeau, President, Mathew Tate, Vice President, Elena Mitcheroney, Treasurer, Carol Munson, Secretary, and James Roache, Curator. Also, Sepp Bergschneider, Peter Bright, Paul Buckley, Barbara Cash, Marie Duffy, Emily Prigot, Willard Thorn and Victoria Jenkinson were all nominated and voted as board members for the next year.