5 Historic Facts about Canton, GA

By Jacob Waller

Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Canton Georgia is a smaller city with stunning scenery and rich history. That's why today we'd like to highlight 5 historic facts about the city we're located in!

1. Canton Has Been the Site of a City for Thousands of Years

While the original name of the village is unknown, Hickory Log was inhabited from prehistoric times up until the Cherokee Removal in the 1830’s. The village was located at the site of the present day Canton Walmart, during the construction of which the site was uncovered and researched. Archaeologists uncovered over 100,000 artifacts, many of which are now housed at the Funk Heritage Center in Waleska. The village, which was located along the Etowah River, was named for nearby Hickory Log Creek.

2. Canton is on the Trail of Tears

Starting just outside Canton at Fort Buffington, the Trail of Tears is one of the darkest parts of American history resulting in the death of over ten thousand Native Americans. Modern approximations place the original route from Fort Buffington to Sixes on East Main Street in Downtown Canton.

3. Canton Is Not The City’s Original Name

Canton was originally named Etowah when it was established as the county seat of Cherokee County. Eventually the city became ‘Cherokee Courthouse’ and then would change again to the name ‘Canton’.

4. Canton was home to one of Georgia’s most famous governors

While he was born in South Carolina, and died in Atlanta, Governor Joseph Emerson Brown called Canton home, becoming the namesake for Brown Park. After becoming a lawyer in Cherokee County, Brown eventually became Governor of Georgia from 1857-1865, leading the state through secession and the Civil War before moving to Dade County and starting a mining business.

5. Canton was burned during the Civil War

During the Civil War, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman would order the burning of Canton during the Atlanta Campaign. The city was the home of Georgia’s governor, Joseph E. Brown, which prompted Sherman to send part of his army from Cartersville to burn Canton.

Want to learn more about Canton's history? Visit the Cherokee County History Center! The Cherokee County History Center, located in downtown Canton, is a history museum that features collections from over +10,000 years of history. The newest exhibit, “Business is Boomin’: Historic Community Businesses” explores the businesses and business communities that defined Cherokee County’s history.