A Brief History of the Canton Free Library

The first known library in Canton, the Canton Social Library Association, was formed in April 1832. It ceased operation with the formation of district school libraries. The present Canton library dates from 1887 when the Good Knights Templar opened a reading room in an office of the Town Hall.
The Women's Library Association was organized in 1891 in Canton to provide a reading room and library facilities in a shack-like building on the edge of the Village Park. Its initial collection consisted of 25 paperbound books owned by Miss Josephine Paige who also acted as librarian. Several prominent members of the Good Knights Templar, including Professors Priest and Forbes of St. Lawrence University, J. Henry Rushton, and Gilbert Manley sought support from the State of New York for a library charter and finally succeeded on March 19, 1896. This created the Canton Free Library and five officers of the Women's Library Association were named the first trustees. The library was then incorporated with 1,782 books and moved back to larger quarters in the Town Hall.
Mrs. Emma P. Benton was visiting her husband's family in Canton in 1907 and was sympathetic with the Association's desire for a library building. She offered $21,000 for a library building and $13,000 to endow it for maintenance and insurance. The building was to be known as the Benton Building to honor her husband. The Village of Canton provided the land. After the building was completed, title was transferred from Mrs. Benton's name to nine trustees of the Benton Library "to create, continue and maintain upon the premises a public library to be conducted for the benefit of the residents of the Village of Canton…" In 1910, the constitution of the Women's Library Association provided for the election of five trustees to the Canton Free Library, and it was stipulated that they chose from their number another group of women to be known as the Benton Board to assume responsibility for upkeep and maintenance of the building. Hence, the library was placed in an unusual situation of having two boards of trustees.
In 1919, the library received a gift of $50,000 from A. Barton Hepburn. The conditions of the gift were that branches be established in nearby Pyrites, Crary Mills, Morley and Rensselaer Falls, that the Board of Trustees of the Canton Free Library include members appointed by the Town of Canton, and that the Town Board contribute annually an amount equal to the income from his $50,000 endowment.
In 1956, a 60th Library Anniversary Campaign was launched to enlarge and modify the Benton Library Building. A bequest of $40,000 from the estate of William Kip seeded the campaign. The response from the community was remarkable, and the library was enlarged and its collection capacity expanded.
From the beginning, the library has depended on the generosity of local "friends." In 1980, a group calling itself The Friends of the Canton Free Library was formed. The Friends conduct a yearly membership drive to provide supplementary funds for books and materials to offset fluctuating funding from government sources.
Working together, the three library boards strive to ensure that the Canton Free Library will continue to be a strong resource center providing valuable services to patrons of all ages and all walks of life.

Condensed by Ann Richardson from the document of the same title prepared by Joan Barrick, December 2000.