Canal Fulton traces its history to three villages that developed along the
Tuscarawas River. Milan was platted on March 23, 1814, by Matthew Rowland who arrived by ox team. It was the first settlement west of the Tuscarawas River in Stark County. Fulton was platted on May 16, 1826, changed its name to Canal Fulton in 1832, and later incorporated as a village. The present name is an amalgamation of the
Ohio Canal and the name of a local pioneer, Ben Fulton. In 1843, President
John Quincy Adams visited.
Indigenous displacement The land that would become Canal Fulton was part of broader territories shared between several Native American tribes, including
Wyandot,
Lenape (Delaware),
Shawnee,
Odawa (Ottawa),
Ojibwe (Chippewa),
Potawatomi,
Miami,
Eel River,
Wea,
Kickapoo,
Piankishaw,
Munsee, and
Kaskaskia. The United States pressed these nations to cede territory to the west of the Tuscarawas in 1785 and to the east in 1805, paving the way for settlers like Rowland to claim divisions.
The Treaty of Fort McIntosh in 1785 claimed land west of the Ohio to the Tuscarawas from Wyandot, Delaware, Shawnee, Ottawa, Chippewa, Potawatomi, Miami, Eel River, Wea, Kickapoo, Piankishaw, and Kaskaskia Native Americans. The
Land Ordinance of 1785 set the precedent for the division and distribution of these lands. With the
Treaty of Fort Industry in July 4, 1805, Wyandot, Ottawa, Chippewa, Munsee, Delaware, Shawnee, and Potawatomi land east of the Tuscarawas was claimed by the United States and made open to white settlers. With the
Treaty of Maumee Rapids in 1817 and the
Treaty of St. Mary’s in 1818, all lands in Ohio were claimed by the United States.
Frontier life In the County of Stark just outside the
Connecticut Western Reserve, on lands known as the
Congress Lands, frontier life was dangerous and difficult. Settlers encountered Native Americans attempting to defend their families and territory, confrontations with wild beasts, and difficulty in transportation. Settlers arrived on canoe or foot from Cleveland by way of the Cuyahoga to the Portage to the Tuscarawas rivers or by ox-drawn cart following the state road from Pennsylvania to Canton then cutting wider Indian trails to their destination.
Land survey Foresighted surveyors while platting Stark County had included “Fractions” of land west of the Tuscarawas. The surveying went according to the laws of the Land Ordinance of 1785, which provided for six-mile square townships to be created in the newly acquired land, the township would then be divided into one-square mile sections, with each section encompassing 640 acres. Each section received its own number. Section sixteen was set aside for a public school. The federal government reserved sections eight, eleven, twenty-six, and twenty-nine to provide veterans of the American Revolution with land bounties for their service during the war. The government would sell the remaining sections at public auction. The minimum bid was 640 dollars per section or one dollar for every acre of land in each section. The fraction in the northwest part of
Stark County was settled before the land on the east bank of the Tuscarawas. The west side of the river was chosen because of the roads that already existed (old Cleveland-Massillon Road also known as the “army road” or “territorial road” because it was cut during the War of 1812, when the Government needed access to Fort Meigs). Also, it was believed the west side had better quality soil. However, the primary reason the west side of river was chosen was because east of the Tusc, the surveys were in two-section areas (with additional surveying the responsibility of the settler) and west of the River the surveys were done on a one-section basis. Most settlers only wanted to farm (and purchase) a one-section area.
Rowland's purchase Matthew Rowland purchased one of these fractions of land and recorded the proprietorship at Canton on March 23, 1814. Rowland platted the town and offered the 79 lots for sale at a public auction in Canton. The town was named
Milan, after the Lombardian city of Milan in Italy. It was fashionable at the time to
name frontier towns after European cities (witness Paris, Ohio, founded in Stark two months before Milan).
Developing the region Rowland’s son-in-law built the first structure in Milan (a log cabin), and Rowland soon added a gristmill and a sawmill. Neither was very successful. The Township that Milan would become a part of was laid off in December 1815. Lawrence Township was named after Captain James Lawrence famous for his last words during the War of 1812 battle between the American Chesapeake, and the British frigate the Shannon, “Don’t Give up the Ship”. These words are now the township’s motto. Milan was the only village in the township until the building of the canal between 1826 and 1828, which brought about the town of Fulton on the other side of the river. Milan boasted churches, cemeteries, and a grocery built to service the hundreds of canal workers. Fulton surpassed Milan though and the prefix Canal was added. For a brief time with the coming of the B & O railroad, Milan once again eclipsed the Port of Canal Fulton. American transportation such as it is, even this balance was tipped again because all the main highways favored the Fulton side of the river. Today Milan no longer exists as it incorporated into Canal Fulton in 1853. It is, however, a quiet residential area, and most in Canal Fulton are aware of the little village’s beginnings. In 1850 the first permanent community school began operation and railroad operations began. In 1853, Canal Fulton absorbed both Milan and West Fulton. In 1855, Union School building was completed and had two rooms accommodating 100 students. In 1869, the construction of railroad was completed on the west side of the river. 1870 Addition built at Union School. In 1873, The warehouse converted to Opera House. In 1874, Canal Fulton approves organization of a fire department, although one was in existence in the early 1800s. Fire department gets first modern steam-operated pumper. In 1875, Sts. Philip and James School founded. In 1886, new school built to accommodate 12 grades. ==Geography==