John Canon (generally referred to as Colonel John Canon) (September 11, 1726 – November 6, 1798) was an

American Revolutionary Patriots, also known as Revolutionaries, Continentals, Rebels, or American Whigs, were the colonists of the Thirteen Colonies who rejected British rule during the American Revolution, and declared the United States of America an independent n ...

soldier,

miller A miller is a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a grain (for example corn or wheat) to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalent ...

, judge, and businessman, who founded three towns, including

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. The population was 9,735 at the 2020 census. The town lies in a rich coal di ...

, which bears his name.

Early history

John Canon was one of the first settlers in Chartiers Valley, a tributary of the

Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of ...

. He worked as a rent collector for

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

, who owned a large amount of land in the area. At the time, the area was part of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

. In 1773, Canon acquired of land along the Chartiers Creek on the Catfish Path, where he built a

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that has been separat ...

and started a farm.Switala, William J. (2001).
Underground railroad in Pennsylvania
'. Stackpole Books. . pp. 78-79. In January 1774, he was appointed

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of a road from Thomas Gist's in Mount Braddock to Paul Froman's mill on

Chartiers Creek Chartiers Creek is a tributary of the Ohio River in Western Pennsylvania in the United States. The creek was named after Peter Chartier, a trapper of French and Native American parentage who established a trading post at the mouth of the cree ...

. He was appointed by Lord Dunmore to serve as judge in

Augusta County Augusta County is a county in the Shenandoah Valley on the western edge of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The second-largest county of Virginia by total area, it completely surrounds the independent cities of Staunton and Waynesboro. Its cou ...

. After the border dispute between

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

and

, the area was placed in Yohogania County.

Military service

In 1775, he was named a

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

in the Washington County militia during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. He was made sub-lieutenant of the county and participated in a number of Indian expeditions, including the Crawford expeditions. 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 Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

, serving in the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly.

Civic accomplishments

Jefferson College Stone College Building

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 an early flour mill and

saw mill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

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 (W&J College or W&J) is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania. The college traces its origin to three log cabin colleges in Washington County established by three Presbyterian missionaries t ...

, by donating a plot of land in Canonsburg and constructing the Stone Academy Building.

Personal life

Canon had five children, Abigail, William, Jane, Joshua, and John, Jr., by his first wife and three children, Samuel, Margaret, and Ann, by his second wife. He died on November 6, 1798.

Gallery

File:Canonsburg plots John Canon.jpg, Canonsburg, as laid out by Col. Canon

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Canon, John 1798 deaths Pennsylvania militiamen in the American Revolution Washington & Jefferson College trustees Members of the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly People from Canonsburg, Pennsylvania People of colonial Pennsylvania American city founders 1726 births Washington & Jefferson College people