1 4 ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁census . ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁county ▁seat ▁of ▁St . ▁Lawrence ▁County . ▁The ▁name ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁Chinese ▁city ▁C anton . ▁ ▁The ▁village ▁of ▁C anton ▁provides ▁many ▁municipal ▁services ▁such ▁as ▁a ▁fully ▁functional ▁village ▁highway ▁department , ▁water ▁and ▁se wer ▁department , ▁volunte er ▁fire ▁department , ▁court ▁system ▁and ▁a ▁police ▁department ▁along ▁with ▁other ▁municipal ▁ag encies . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁attempt ▁at ▁settlement ▁was ▁made ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 0 , ▁but ▁the ▁first ▁permanent ▁settlement ▁occurred ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 1 . ▁The ▁first ▁post ▁office ▁used ▁the ▁name ▁" New ▁C airo ," ▁but ▁changed ▁to ▁C anton ▁by ▁ 1 8 0 7 . ▁The ▁early ▁economy ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁far ming ▁and ▁l umber ing . ▁ ▁The ▁village ▁was ▁incorpor ated ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 5 . ▁Between ▁ 1 8 8 7 ▁and ▁ 1 8 8 9 , ▁the ▁village ▁was ▁modern ized ▁with ▁a ▁se w age ▁system , ▁water ▁works , ▁and ▁elect rical ▁light ing . ▁ ▁St . ▁Lawrence ▁University ▁was ▁founded ▁here ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 6 , ▁and ▁the ▁State ▁University ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁at ▁C anton ▁( n orth west ▁of ▁the ▁village ) ▁was ▁begun ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 6 . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁Her ring - C ole ▁Hall ▁Richard son ▁Hall , ▁and ▁the ▁Old ▁Camp us ▁Historic ▁District ▁of