Canton History Project Historic Markers

Canton resident Dr. Raymond Bahr, founder of the Canton History Project, is championing a campaign to place historic interpretive markers throughout Canton to spotlight its rich and often buried history. On Tuesday, February 28, two new markers were installed.

Both signs share little known information about the Canton Company (1828-1980).  The first, entitled “The Industrial Heart of the City of Baltimore”, is located on the knoll at the Canton Waterfront Park. It featured details about Captain John O’Donnell, inventor Peter Cooper, and the vast acreage that was the Canton Company. (Sponsored by Raymond D. Bahr, M.D. and Family.) The second, entitled “Viewing the entrance to the Baltimore Harbor from the Canton Waterfront Park”, is located at the intersection of Boston and Clinton Streets. It describes the history of the visible area surrounding the waterfront including Canton Cove, Fort McHenry, and the Canton Company. (Sponsored by Rukert Terminals Corporation)

FACT: The Canton Company, which existed from 1828 to 1980, was the epicenter of the industrial revolution in Baltimore City. It once spanned over 10,000 acres of land from the historic center of Canton spreading East from Harris Creek along the newly built Baltimore & Ohio Railroad lines. It was the combination of the rails and docks (which provided access to the Chesapeake Bay and thus ports around the world) that turned a once pastoral area owned by Captain John O’Donnell the founder of Canton, into an industrial and commercial powerhouse. The Canton Company, which drew profit from the oyster and canning industries, became one of the most successful industrial parks in the history of America.

An additional marker featuring Peter Cooper and his contribution to the history of Canton is in the works.

To sponsor this project, donations can be made through the CCA to the Interpretive Marker Fund. To donate, make checks payable to Canton Historical Society and mail to: CCA, PO Box #5125, Baltimore, MD 21224. For more details on the markers or the Canton History Project, contact Dr. Raymond Bahr at RDB60@aol.com.