John Canon
Encyclopedia
John Canon (bef. 1773 – November 6, 1798) was an American Revolutionary soldier, miller
, judge, and businessman, who founded three towns, including Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
, which bears his name.
, a tributary of the Ohio River
. He worked as a rent collector for George Washington
, who owned a large amount of land in the area. At the time, the area was part of Virginia
. In 1773, Canon acquired 12 acres (4.9 ha) of land along the Chartiers Creek on the Catfish Path, where he built a gristmill
and started a farm. In January 1774, he was appointed viewer
of a road from Thomas Gist's in Mount Braddock to Paul Froman's mill on Chartiers Creek
. He was appointed by Lord Dunmore to serve as judge in Augusta County
. After the border dispute between Pennsylvania
and Virginia
, the area was placed in Yohogania County
.
in the Washington County militia
during the American Revolutionary War
. He was made sub-lieutenant of the county and participated in a number of Indian expeditions, including the Crawford expedition
s. It is not clear whether he participated in some of the more brutal raids, as is claimed by some historical accounts. Some evidence exists that indicate that he was in Philadelphia, serving in the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly.
He was a member of the Board of Trustees of Washington Academy, an academy that would eventually merge with the institution he helped found, from 1789 until his death in 1798. In 1791, he helped found Canonsburg Academy, which would later become Jefferson College and Washington & Jefferson College
, by donating a plot of land in Canonsburg and constructing the Stone Academy Building.
Miller
A miller usually refers to a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a cereal crop to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalents in other languages around the world...
, judge, and businessman, who founded three towns, including Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
Canonsburg is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, southwest of Pittsburgh. Canonsburg was laid out by Colonel John Canon in 1789 and incorporated in 1802....
, which bears his name.
Early history
John Canon was one of the first settlers in Chartiers ValleyChartiers Creek
Chartiers Creek is a tributary of the Ohio River in Western Pennsylvania in the United States. The creek was named after Pierre Chartiers, a trapper of French and Native American parentage who established a trading post at the mouth of the creek in 1743....
, a tributary of the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
. He worked as a rent collector for George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, who owned a large amount of land in the area. At the time, the area was part of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. In 1773, Canon acquired 12 acres (4.9 ha) of land along the Chartiers Creek on the Catfish Path, where he built a gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
and started a farm. In January 1774, he was appointed viewer
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
of a road from Thomas Gist's in Mount Braddock to Paul Froman's mill on Chartiers Creek
Chartiers Creek
Chartiers Creek is a tributary of the Ohio River in Western Pennsylvania in the United States. The creek was named after Pierre Chartiers, a trapper of French and Native American parentage who established a trading post at the mouth of the creek in 1743....
. He was appointed by Lord Dunmore to serve as judge in Augusta County
Augusta County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 65,615 people, 24,818 households, and 18,911 families residing in the county. The population density was 68 people per square mile . There were 26,738 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...
. After the border dispute between Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, the area was placed in Yohogania County
Yohogania County
Yohogania County was created by the new state of Virginia in 1776, in an area long disputed between Virginia and Pennsylvania. The county ceased to exist after the border dispute between the two states was resolved in the 1780s...
.
Military service
In 1775, he was named a colonelColonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
in the Washington County militia
Militia (United States)
The role of militia, also known as military service and duty, in the United States is complex and has transformed over time.Spitzer, Robert J.: The Politics of Gun Control, Page 36. Chatham House Publishers, Inc., 1995. " The term militia can be used to describe any number of groups within the...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. He was made sub-lieutenant of the county and participated in a number of Indian expeditions, including the Crawford expedition
Crawford expedition
The Crawford expedition, also known as the Sandusky expedition and Crawford's Defeat, was a 1782 campaign on the western front of the American Revolutionary War, and one of the final operations of the conflict...
s. It is not clear whether he participated in some of the more brutal raids, as is claimed by some historical accounts. Some evidence exists that indicate that he was in Philadelphia, serving in the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly.
Civic accomplishments
In 1780, he received land in Virginia along the Chartiers Valley through present-day Canonsburg on the north side of Chartiers Creek. In that land, he founded three towns, "Canon Hill" (now Canonsburg, founded April 15, 1788), "Abbington," and "Sugar-Tree Grove." He owned a early flour mill and saw mill that formed the basis of the town. It was water-powered and was erected in 1780. The mill was demolished in 1942 when the milling company ceased flour production.He was a member of the Board of Trustees of Washington Academy, an academy that would eventually merge with the institution he helped found, from 1789 until his death in 1798. In 1791, he helped found Canonsburg Academy, which would later become Jefferson College and Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College, also known as W & J College or W&J, is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, in the United States, which is south of Pittsburgh...
, by donating a plot of land in Canonsburg and constructing the Stone Academy Building.