My hope for this small town that recently faded...
Over the years have heard numerous rumors and proposed ideas that have come and go for the small community of Canton. Each time it has either been passed down or never materialized past the in talks stage. Recently past hope in the reactivation of an old railroad line vanished within a few days as the rails and ties were pulled starting in Canton and heading up to Yates City. At one time i had hoped Canton would grow, would attract business and the old CB&Q/BN/BNSF line would one day be brought into service if not by BNSF then a shortline that had once expressed interest but it never happened.
At one point a meat packaging plant wanted to build here but the city chased them away then a coal mine expressed interest in the area but the city as well as the residents put up a protest and killed that. Recently in the county a hog farm had sights in the area but naturally you can always count on the cry babies to step forward and put a stop to it. What I love is how some people complain about the lack of jobs in this area yet then turn around and chase them away. The city of Canton is known for also wanting to tax to death anything that might want to build here so that sort of alone just shoo's away any potential right there. When they do build anything here it is of something we already have multiple shops of from other companies. They just put in another auto store ( I wont knock that one since may use them if the car needs repaired) but the point is we already have quite a few auto store part shops here. We have multiple pizza and burger joints here. I do give them credit they are putting in a Dunkin donuts which is something we haven't seen before to my knowledge in the way of it's own shop. We can buy donuts from the deli at Kroger, Hyvee and Casey's general so it's nothing too impressive for me but hey atleast it's not another pizza or burger joint so whatever.
Cook Medical was the sign of future for this town but Cook died so who knows how that could have panned out. He had planned on bringing Canton back to life atleast that was his hopes. The politicians that run this town would probably put their foot down and try to control like they do with everything that views Canton as a potential town to build in.
The removal of the tracks I wasn't pleased on but it was the railroad who sold the line to a contractor to scrap the line. I'm sure the city is really broken hearted about it since they have wanted to get rid of that line for some time atleast that is what i heard. I grew up with those tracks there and they have always been a familiar sight so I wasn't a happy camper when they started pulling them up. It pretty much said this town is dead development wise but you never know a miracle could happen and someone builds something the active shortline that runs through could benefit from. I'm just stating an opinion I have no idea how this town will fair or develop in the future but judging by the past 40 years of economic decline I'm not Optimistic.
At one point a meat packaging plant wanted to build here but the city chased them away then a coal mine expressed interest in the area but the city as well as the residents put up a protest and killed that. Recently in the county a hog farm had sights in the area but naturally you can always count on the cry babies to step forward and put a stop to it. What I love is how some people complain about the lack of jobs in this area yet then turn around and chase them away. The city of Canton is known for also wanting to tax to death anything that might want to build here so that sort of alone just shoo's away any potential right there. When they do build anything here it is of something we already have multiple shops of from other companies. They just put in another auto store ( I wont knock that one since may use them if the car needs repaired) but the point is we already have quite a few auto store part shops here. We have multiple pizza and burger joints here. I do give them credit they are putting in a Dunkin donuts which is something we haven't seen before to my knowledge in the way of it's own shop. We can buy donuts from the deli at Kroger, Hyvee and Casey's general so it's nothing too impressive for me but hey atleast it's not another pizza or burger joint so whatever.
Cook Medical was the sign of future for this town but Cook died so who knows how that could have panned out. He had planned on bringing Canton back to life atleast that was his hopes. The politicians that run this town would probably put their foot down and try to control like they do with everything that views Canton as a potential town to build in.
The removal of the tracks I wasn't pleased on but it was the railroad who sold the line to a contractor to scrap the line. I'm sure the city is really broken hearted about it since they have wanted to get rid of that line for some time atleast that is what i heard. I grew up with those tracks there and they have always been a familiar sight so I wasn't a happy camper when they started pulling them up. It pretty much said this town is dead development wise but you never know a miracle could happen and someone builds something the active shortline that runs through could benefit from. I'm just stating an opinion I have no idea how this town will fair or develop in the future but judging by the past 40 years of economic decline I'm not Optimistic.
Hi Jan,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your new venture as a blogger. Hope you have many years of enjoyable posts and conversation with commenters.
Thank you so much and thanks for telling me about this. I have got the basics down. I made a mistake with the title i meant was going to put my handle name where Howdy from Canton Illinois is but this seems more welcoming and better so think I'll leave it. Again thanks.
ReplyDeleteCanton has had so many opportunities presented to them that they have badly blundered on. A Super Walmart was proposed but that was shot down by the city. There was a multiscreen movie house that wanted to build on the former IH site but that was pushed out when Cook came in. Everyone thinks 336 will be the shot in the arm that Canton needs. It won't be. In fact, it will be more of a detrement then a boost. The state will not be building any roadways like that any time soon and the proposed corridor will obliterate Marietta and severely hamper Cuba. The prison has brought jobs to Canton but it has also brought a lot of bad people to town. Stihl is looking for a place in the US to bring manufacturing to but sure as anything is that Canton and Fulton County would botch that.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with you on the hog farm though. The City of Lewistown admitted they couldn't provide the water needed for the farm as the farm would be on Lewistown water. We need jobs in Fulton County but we don't need to sell out the residents that would be living near it.
Fulton County is made up of farms which is why I dont get why people are against one. Don't all farms smell? That is one complaint i keep hearing anyway. I doubt it would have provided too many jobs depending on the size of it.
ReplyDeleteI agree about how Canton has had so many opportunities. I remember the whole Super walmart ordeal. Didnt the city want high taxes to build one for them or something. I forget the details. Anyways the 336 thing I personally have given up hope it will ever be built here. This highway has been taled about for decades. When they do get to building it to Peoria watch it go to Knox county instead or something. I think the Highway might help some but I just don't know how much. I would guess more fast food chains if anything. I would love if some manufacturing buusiness came here but the city would either try to tax them to death or shoo them away. I remember in the early 1990's Enterpise road was built and it was expected to draw in businesses but it never happened. There was a La Roma's pizza at the time but nothing ever built out there nor did it take off. It was expected to bring industry back into this town. Ha!
Animals smell but the problem is that when you confine that many animals in one place you have a greater concentration of manure to deal with instead of keeping animals in smaller concentrations and spread out over a greater area. When a place has to deal with metric tons of manure a month, they have issues with it. Inwood dairy near Elmwood is a prime example of what severe mismanagement can do in that situation. We don't need that here.
ReplyDeleteThat's true on the smell. I heard someone mention run off to into a creek up that way too I think maybe Elmwood or some where in Peoria county a long time ago. I could be wrong on the location i just remember hearing about it on the local news ages ago. If they can contain the stuff and keep it clean then people wouldn't have problems.
ReplyDeleteEmployment wise it wouldn't add too many jobs to be that noticeable. We need bigger fish like a manufacturing and maybe more store franchises than some one single pig farm. Hopefully something cleaner than one of the foundries I once worked at in Havana. That place was so filthy it wasn't funny and you coughed up black crap every day or come out off shift covered in silt. They also didn't have a good safety record either.