Shetland Ponies for Sale near Canton, IL

About Canton, IL

Canton was founded in 1825 by settler Isaac Swan, who believed his new town and Canton, China, were antipodes. Abundant coal and labor, and the proximity of railroads and the Illinois River made Canton a factory town. The major manufacturing plant in town was P&O (Parlin & Orendorff) Plow Works, later International Harvester, which closed in 1983. In 1997, the 30-acre (120,000 m 2) plant was destroyed by an arson fire, leaving the former industrial heart of the city a smoldering ruin, which has since been leveled. The town's employers now include the Illinois state prison named the Illinois River Correctional Center, the city's Graham Hospital, Cook Medical, Spoon River College and retail stores.