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 Industry in Canton 1700 - 1800

The Canton Association of Industries (CAI), is a unique organization comprised of commercial, educational, and caregivers either based in Canton or doing business in Canton.  Membership ranges from small locally owned or operated enterprises to large international companies.  Our members include several school systems, large manufacturers, local retail establishments, hospitals, professionals, and a variety of other enterprises that provide goods and services.  

Please review the information contained in this website.  If you are interested in joining with us please see more information in the Join CAI section.

Howard Goldman
President

Howard Goldman, the newly elected president of the Canton Association of Industries (CAI), literally puts his sole into the organization by running the annual Reebok Canton Homecoming Road Race, which raised fifty-two thousand dollars to support Canton students, programs, and charities.

Held early in the fall, the road race attracted 448 registered runners in either the 1 mile fun race; the 5K or 10K races; the 5K wheelchair; or the 5K corporate challenge.

“I hope to increase the amount we raise to $100,000 and have it be our primary fund raiser,” said Goldman, whose leadership qualities and professional demeanor inspire optimism. “The road race allows us to unify the community around something that raises money for the town.”

Proceeds go to a number of worthy causes such as the riding arena at the Mass Hospital School, programs for the Recreation Department, the Police and Fire Departments, Canton High School senior scholarships and the annual Block Party.

Additional funds have also been distributed to the Senior Drop-In Center, Fourth of July celebrations, and upgrades of downtown Canton.

A donations committee has been instituted, and the CAI has created an on-line application process. “This way we can portion out funds fairly,” said Goldman, who is goal-oriented and hard-working, according to Paul Hannigan, Executive Director.

“CAI’S focus is to develop a good line of communication with the town and local officials,” said Hannigan, who is available to meet with business owners to discuss the benefits of joining CAI.

According to its Mission Statement, the Canton Association of Industries is a nonprofit corporation working since 1972 to make Canton a better community for business and residents. It provides a bridge of understanding between citizens, government and business.

“Think of business as your friend,” said Goldman, CEO of Humboldt Moving and Storage. “We are citizens of Canton and enjoy watching it prosper and grow.”

Creating a strong business-to-business social and professional climate, the CAI hosts a number of annual events, such as business roundtables, golf tournaments, dinner dances and a HOLIDAY EVENT open to all.

CAI meets with selectmen to discuss town issues, such as improvements to Route 138, or the Westwood Project and its impact on traffic.

Past President Roger Pritzker instituted roundtables in order to foster an open forum for discussion.

o talk about important issues. In April, a roundtable will meet to review town warrants that affect businesses.

“We hope to expand the reach of the Canton Association of Industries and make it more of a known entity,” said Goldman, with an eye towards the future. “I want the CAI to become even more involved with the town.”

See our updated bylaws here

Mission Statement

The Canton Association of Industries is a nonprofit corporation working since 1972 to make Canton a better community for both business and residents.  We have served as a bridge of understanding and cooperation between citizens, government and our member companies.

Accomplishments 

Here are some of CAI's past and present accomplishments

• CAI has successfully maintained open lines of communications with the selectmen and other town boards line the Board of Assessors for the past twenty-six years.  Currently, the association is addressing such issues as reasonable taxation, ground water protection problems, MWRA water concerns and traffic problems.
    
• CAI was the motivational force that brought sewer services to the industries fronting on Route 138.  Today, active and informed member of the association are keeping informed about the state plans for improving the condition of Route 138.
    
• CAI provided funds for the development of the Canton Youth Commission.
    
• CAI raised more that $45,000 to create the D. Forbes Will Senior Drop-in Center at the former Hemenway School  This facility serves hundreds of Canton seniors with daily meals, medical services and recreational activities.
    
• CAI's annual Golf Tournament has contributed tens of thousands of dollars for the United Way and local charities.
    
• CAI is a significant co-sponsor of Canton's annual Fourth of July festivities.
    
• CAI hosts social gatherings where members and government officials can "network" and discuss items of mutual concern.

History

Patriot Ledger: 12/20/72
CANTON --- A new industrial organization consisting of some of the largest industries in Canton has been formed and is ready to become active in the community. 

Better Communication
The Canton Association of Industries Inc. was formed to encourage better communication between the town and its industries, Lawrence Cedrone president of the association told selectman last night.

Mr. Cedrone, accompanied by George Buswell, director of the organization. “Our charter members include such firms as Draper Bros., Emerson and Cuming, Morse Shoe, Plymouth Rubber Co., Boston Envelope Co., Instron Co. and Boston Mutual Insurance Co., Mr. Cedrone said. “ Our plans include the dissemination of valuable information among members that is not readily available on area salary scales and other data,” he said.

Attract Industry
Mr. Cedrone added the group hoped to work closely with the Canton Industrial Development Commission in its efforts to bring desirable industry to the town, with the Chamber of Commerce and with town officials.

“We really feel there is a need to attempt to convince the townspeople that industry is not “big, bad band of giants some people think we are,” Mr. Cedrone commented. “Some people think industry fleeces a town of its valuable property, causes the tax rate to oar and doesn’t care what happens in the town.

“This is not true, and we hope to convince people that industry in Canton provides much in the way of opportunity for employment for town residents, along with helping to stabilize the tax rate,” Mr. Cedrone said. Mr. Buswell concurred, commenting; “Service to the Community through industry” will be the motto of the group.
Mr. Buswell said he would be available to speak to civic groups on the organization and added that, possibly, the organization could serve as a clearinghouse for employment in the town. 

Work with Schools
“We don’t have any definite plans on this as yet, but it is something we are thinking about,” Mr. Buswell said  He added the group planned to work closely with the administration of both the Canton schools and the Blue Hills Regional Vocational Technical School in the employment area. 

Mr. Cedrone said he hoped association members could be induced to procure goods and services locally – “in other words, to `buy Canton, `” He argued that the new group would benefit both the members and the community. An employee of Instron Corp, Mr. Cedrone said the firm planned to pull out of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce of which it is a member.

“One of the reasons is new rate schedule which has increased our dues from $100 to $1500 annually, but another reason is that we feel this new organization will not only benefit us, but the entire community,” he added. 

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Canton Journal February 1973

CAI HOLDS ITS FIRST GENERAL MEETING
The first general meeting of the Canton Association of Industries was held at the Red Boot on Tuesday, February 13, 1973. Present were approximately seventy people. This includes members, guests and invited State and Town Officials.

The meeting was called to order by President Cedrone at 4:29. Mr. Cedrone introduced board members, officers and Director of Public Relations, George Buswell. Mr. Buswell introduced the town officials who were in attendance. President Cedrone outlined the history of the organization, its purposes and reported that thirty-two firms already have been accepted for membership. A lively discussion followed. Some constructive suggestions were made. Walter Morris suggested that the dues structure be revised so that dues would “equate to the vested interest a member might “. This suggestion will be considered for our second year of operation.

Builder John Keith suggested that the Association become involved with the zoning articles which appear in the warrant for the March Town Meeting. It was generally agreed that there wouldn’t be time enough before Town Meeting for the association to become involved this year. It was agreed, however, that this is an area where the Association could be helpful in the Future. Route 138 and Will Drive zoning are two areas which should be studied. 

After the informal discussion of Association activities—past, present and future, Parker Chartier of the Canton Industrial Development Commission introduced the speaker, Roger Jewett, the Director of the Bureau of Commercial and Industrial Development of the Massachusetts Department of Commerce and Development and his associate Leon White. Mr. Jewett gave a brief but enlightening talk on the value to the town of establishing an Industrial Financing Authority in accordance with an article in the 1973 town warrant. Mr. Jewett was in favor of such an Authority consisting of five members who would make recommendations to the Board of Selectmen. Sixty Massachusetts towns and cities have established such an Authority since 1967, the year the State legislation was enacted to make such an Authority possible. All but four of the fifty states have adopted such Randolph and Stoughton are considering it this year. 

Another lively discussion followed Mr. Jewett’s talk and it appeared that among those present there some who were not in favor of establishing such an authority for the Town of Canton. The Association took no action, but the possibility of doing so will be discussed at the Association Board meeting on March 14. 

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Industry In Canton 
1700-1800

To the early Colonial settler, Canton presented a view of beautifully diversified hill and vales, an imposing layer of granite that cropped out dramatically at Great Blue Hill, and swamps, peat-bogs and rock strata that combined to create picturesque scenery.

For the farmer, this beauty spelled out the difficulty of making a living from farming; for the budding industrialist and businessman, however, this same prospect defined the ways in which great profits could be wrung from the resources of the town. These resources included the abundant woods, which were soon being cut for cedar shingles and clapboards, firewood and charcoal by the Ponkapoag Indians. The Ponkapoags, under the influence of the colonists, had dropped the Indian philosophy of living in relationship with the land, and had begun to exploit and dominate the land in the manner of the white man. When, in 1726, the Indians complained about the pressures brought on them to use their lands for commercial purposes, their very complaint emphasizes the growing importance of early industry in Canton.

From 1700 on, the center of industrial activity in Canton was the section of the town through which the east branch of the Neponset River flows. It was here, in 1700 that Thomas Holman built the first sawmill and dam and here where in 1717 an early industrial development group built a dam and forge to work the bog-iron deposits from Massapoag Pond. Also in 1717, the Dorchester Selectmen (Canton then being part of Dorchester) petitioned the General Court to build a gristmill in South Canton as a “public benefit”. The mill built by Elijah Danforth, failed after ten years and other mills, unfortunately, suffered the same fate. Benjamin Everendon bought mill privileges in 1749 when his powder mill in Milton blew up, but again, by 1753, the powder mill ceased to exist. Major Thomas Crane had great success with his powder mill, which the General Court had ordered erected in January of 1775 (possibly to supply the ammunition for the coming revolution) until it also blew up in 1779.

Although present-day fishermen will find it hard to believe, the early Neponset River mills faced a persistent and disruptive problem caused by alewives, shad-like members-of the herring family used for food, fertilizer and income to many farmers. The alewives’ habits included a migration from salt to fresh water each spring, requiring unobstructed passage in the rivers. Disputes between mill owners and framers over the routes of the alewives resulted in guards being mounted to protect sluice gates. In at least one instance a Cantonian was tossed into Daniel Voss’s millpond for tampering with his dam to let the alewives through. Although the industrialist claimed that the number of alewives was not sufficient to warrant closing down operations to allow the fish and Canton and Stoughton signed an alewives protection agreement (later abrogated) through and asked town damages if they did shut down, the question was never satisfactorily settled. But despite powder mill explosions, alewives controversies and Indian land rights problems, the industrial development of canton, especially along the Neponset River, took place rapidly and considerably earlier than is often realized. South Canton would remain a particularly vital industrial segment of the town as long as New England dominated the colonial iron industry.

Eastern Massachusetts, from the establishment of the first iron works in 1643, was the site of speedy expansion of iron production, mostly under the hands of Welsh-born Henry and Jams Leonard. By 1660, Henry Leonard appears to have been connected with the establishment of an iron works in Canton and not even the destruction wrought by King Phillip’s War in 1675-76 seems to have interrupted the Leonard’s work. The family was seemingly immune to Indian attack; perhaps because they were know to have sheltered Indian fugitives from their fellow whites.

By 1724, four iron works were working bog iron deposits near Massapoag Pond and 770 tons of ore were being sold annually. This production increased so swiftly that Parliament passed an act forbidding construction of further mills, hoping to restrict the colonies to the production of pig iron to be worked by English mills. Despite this feeble effort, the mills in New England increased production to 1500 tons in 1770, 30,000 tons in 1775 and 45,000 tons by 1800. (45,000 tons was 10% of the total world iron production in 1800.)

CANTON INDUSTRY – NOW AND THEN
By Sheila Cheimets

Much of the material is drawn from the book 
“Economic Change and the Community, Canton, Massachusetts 1797-1965” by Paul Tedesco
D.H. Mark Publishing Company
Braintree, Massachusetts
Used by permission.