The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1867-10-24
Canton. O.

Canton, o.
We visited this place last week. It
was little over year since we had
been there, and the changes and prog
ress of the place has been so amazing,
that we could scarcely recognize it as
the same old town. Our acquaintance
with this place began in September,
1856. 1t then contained population
of about 2,700. The only manufacturing
establishment worthy of note was that
of Messrs. Ball, Aultman &S Co. They
that year manufactured, we believe,
five hundred Z" Ohio Mowers They
then enlarged their establishments
and continued to increase the number
of machines manufactured each year,
till it reached five and six thousand,
I'm addition to four and five hundred
Threshing Machines. In 1858 Mr.. Ball
Withdrew from the firm and construct
ed extensive buildings for the same
purpose. These two establishments
employ each from three to five hundred
operatives. In addition to these estab-
lishments there are now four extensive
Plow Manufactures, large Mower
Knive establishment, and the Maleable
Iron Works, which will employ three
or four hundred mechanics, besides
several minor works in the different
parts of the town. This manufacturing
enterprise is drawing mechanics and
men of capital from all parts of the
country, and the result is that, land
around it. for which we would not have
been willing to pay $50 per acre ten
years ago, cannot now be purchased for
$4,000. A gentleman recently purchased
a farm. on the south skirts of the town,
containing 100 acres, for which he paid
$4,000. He has laid it out into small
lots, which he is now selling rapidly
for 5000 each We think he struck oil.
The rapid growth of the town is
astonishing. There are no less than 100
residences i'm course ofspeedy construc-
tion and completion. The most prom
inent are: the Opera House of Mr.. l..
Sch8fer, which will cost no less
than $4,000; Mr.. Isaac Harter is COM
pleting business structure ON the west
side of the public square that will cost
$4,000; The Presbyterian Congrega-
ton are building stone Church that
will remain as monument of perpetu-
al beauty; A County Court House and
general offices is now under contract
that will cost 100000. There are other
business buildings which have been
completed and are an honor to the
place.
The private residences are numerous,
costly and elegant, but We have no
space to partieularize. We may add
that to us it is a source CT pleasure to
see our numerous friends prosper as
they are doing in Canton.
We have hastily, written the above
not for the purpose of merely praising
Canton because of our attachment to it,
but we wish to show our citizens the
beneficial influences of manufacturing
establishments, of which Upper San
dusky is so sorrowfully deficient. We
have the facilities. butla the enter
prise. Without the manufacturing in
fiuence and aid, Canton would scarcely
be known outside of the County Of
which it is the seat. So with Massillon.
seven miles west of it. The mammoth
Agricultural Works of Russell & Co.
constitute the vitality of that place.
Without those works Massillon would
be cypher! We hope to live and see
the day when our capitalists will be
imbued with spirit of manufacturing
enterprise, and then our town will
initiate hermore prosperous neighbors.
One great obstacle to the increase of
Upper Sandusky is that the land in its
vicinity is owned in too large tracts.
This should be divided into farms of
about 100 acres each, and thus encourage
the increase of our populations.