The Canton Gas and Electric Power Company established by W. H. Parlin, was built on West Locust Street, at Big Creek in 1916. Even in the 1880's Canton needed two banks to handle businesses that included 17 cigar factories, an implement factory that employed about 500 men, mills, brickyards and many smaller firms. Believed to be the first woman bank director in the U.S. is Mrs. Louisa McCall, widow of James McCall, organizer and president of the First National Bank. She also served 25 years as president of the Canton Aid Society. The McCall School was named for her.
Today there is a total of five banks and savings and loan firms.
Newspapers Canton has had several newspapers through the years. In 1911 U. G. Orendorff bought the Fulton County Ledger and named it the Canton Ledger. In 1926 the Canton Register was purchased and the two were consolidated. Today we have the Canton Daily Ledger and The Little Giant Advertiser. Schools When Isaac Swan laid out the town, he determined to secure neighbors with the view of establishing a church and a school, so in 1825, the first year of the town's history, Swan sawed the logs for a school house.