Historic Canton - Baltimore, MD
Posted by: 
bluesnote
N 39° 16.628 W 076° 34.267
18S E 364483 N 4348708
A state historical marker at Canton Waterfront Park in Baltimore, Maryland.
Waymark Code: WM14HD5
Location: Maryland, United States
Date Posted: 07/10/2021
Views: 10
The plaque says, "Capt. John O'Donnell, considered the father of Canton., made his fortune trading in the orient. Around 1785 he settled in the Canton area and named his estate after the fort city of Canton, China. Capt. O'Donnell became a gentleman farmer, and the Canton Homestead became a gathering place for the elite of Baltimore. it was here in 1803 that Betsy Patterson and Jerome Bonaparte were married. It was later annulled by his brother Napoleon Bonaparte emperor of France.
In 1828, Columbus O'Donnell, the son of Captain John O'Donnell enticed industrialist and inventor Peter Coopta from Ne wYork City to purchase the 3000 acres of the O'Donnell estate and form the Canton Company to develop the land of Marris Creek. Most of the land was unoccupied and along deep water with access to the Chesapeake bay and ports around the world. The Baltimore & Ohio railroad was being invented. Expansion speculation was rampant.
The Canton Company would begin where the historic district is today. With the oyster and canning industry and later it would pick up an additional 7000 acres from the Colonel Colgate estate to become one of the most successful industrial parks in the history of America.
The Canton Company would end in the lat 1980s, but to some the entrepreneurial sprit that guided the Canton Company still exists in the community today."
Marker Type (optional): ----
County (required): Baltimore City
Location (required): Canton Waterfront Park
More info about the site/marker (optional): Not listed
Website for more info (optional): Not listed
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